Lady Eli Looms Large in Wonder Again

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Lady Eli is set to headline Sunday's $200,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Belmont Park.

Now in its second year, the Wonder Again serves as the local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational on Stars & Stripes Day, which also features the Grade 1, $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational.

In its inaugural year as an internationally-themed event at Belmont, Stars & Stripes Day drew some of the best 3-year-old turf runners from around the world.

Lady Eli, who is trained by Chad Brown for Sheep Pond Partners, enters the Wonder Again with a perfect record from four starts. The daughter of Divine Park was sensational as a 2-year-old, picking up wins in a maiden race and the Grade 3 Miss Grillo at Belmont before going on to dominate the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf.

In her 3-year-old debut, Lady Eli proved she was much more than just a flash-in-the-pan juvenile. Kicking off her 2015 campaign in the Grade 3 Appalachian at Keeneland, the dark bay or brown filly dusted a talented field by 2 ½ lengths that included next-out stakes winner Miss Temple City, who is likely to make her next start at Royal Ascot.

Although Lady Eli has yet to run beyond 1 1/16 miles in her career, Brown does not foresee the added ground of the 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again as a problem, nor Lady Eli's ultimate objective, the 1 ¼-mile Belmont Oaks on July 4.

"My feeling is she's talented enough, has a good enough mind, and relaxes enough to handle the stretch-out," said Brown. "We'll first try her at 1 1/8 miles, which she's never done before, and see how she handles it. If she does, we'll point her to [the Belmont Oaks]."

Lady Eli, who is listed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite, will be ridden again by Irad Ortiz, Jr., and the pair will break from post 7.

Trainer Christophe Clement will send out a pair of runners to challenge Lady Eli, including the undefeated Miss Chatelaine, who will be making her 3-year-old debut in the Wonder Again.

In 2014, Miss Chatelaine won convincingly in her debut on September 7 at Belmont, and then turned heads with an explosive late kick in the Chelsea Flower, also at Belmont.

The chestnut daughter of Pulpit will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 4. She sits at 12-1 on the morning line for Highland Yard LLC.

Also from the Clement barn is Pine Needles, who won her first two starts for Jon and Sarah Kelly before finishing second by a neck in the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Luis Saez will be aboard the Giant's Causeway filly, 6-1 on the morning line, and the duo will depart from post 6.

The Wonder Again will also feature a trio of regally bred horses, including Puca, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Finnegan's Wake; Heath, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Lea; and My Sweet Girl, who is out of Grade 1 winner Bit of Whimsy.

Pangburn and Itsonlyactingdad complete the field. Doinwhatshelikes is entered for the main track only.

Source: NYRA