Wondrwherecraigis aims for Russell's first graded win in Amsterdam

Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Wondrwherecraigis will look to give trainer Brittany Russell her first graded stakes win in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam.

"It would be huge, especially at Saratoga,” said Russell, whose only other graded-stakes starter was High Noon Rider, who finished seventh in the 2019 Valedictory (G3) at Woodbine Racetrack. “A graded stake is a graded stake but to win one at Saratoga is even more special. I wish we could be there,"

Unraced as a juvenile, Wondrwherecraigis was a debut winner in March, sprinting six furlongs at Laurel Park and doubled up off the nearly three-month layoff June 6 in a Laurel allowance sprint. Both efforts came under jockey Sheldon Russell, the trainer's husband, who regularly worked the horse in the morning.

"The owners let us take our time with him to see what we had," Russell said. "My husband rode him in his first two starts and he always liked him in the morning. He always said he was nice, but we needed to take our time with him. He's a big, heavy horse."

Russell said Wondrwherecraigis impressed her by defeating older company at second asking off the layoff.

"He ran as good as we thought he would first time and came back after the COVID stint and beat older horses going five and a half, which isn't really what he wants to do," Russell said. "Sheldon came back and said it was a hard race because he had to use him a bit. He has speed but he also has the ability to sit off horses and make a run. Going five and a half that day, Sheldon had to use him a bit more, but the horse was still there for him. Knowing that wasn't his preferred distance, he still stepped up and got it done."

Last out July 10 at Belmont Park, the talented gelding set a wicked pace in the six-furlong Gold Fever under Jose Lezcano, marking off splits of 21.65 and 44.06 on the sloppy and sealed main track only to be nailed at the wire by Amsterdam rival Liam's Pride. The dark bay crossed the wire second but was demoted to third for interfering with another Amsterdam rival in Long Weekend.

Despite the disappointment of being disqualified, Russell took solace in the effort which garnered Wondrwherecraigis a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure and said the front-running style wasn't totally unexpected.

"Before he ran first time, he was always very rapid from the gate in the morning,” Russell said. “He was always very smart in that sense.

"We thought he had it in him but it was also a sloppy track that day so we told Jose to jack him out of there and see where he puts you. The way he traveled that day it didn't surprise me, and I was really proud to see him there late. Yes, he got beat a head and he got DQ'd, but he was fighting for it at the end."

Wondrwherecraigis has breezed three times since the Gold Fever, including a half-mile in 49.60 August 20 on the Laurel main track.

"He's doing great," Russell said. "After a bit of a hard race and looking at the options in the schedule, we opted to let him catch his breath and get back on a work schedule. He's done nothing wrong since that race."

The 3-year-old Munnings gelding, out of the Giant's Causeway mare Social Assassin, comes from good stock. His third dam, Towering Success, produced Affirmed Success, a more than $2.2 million earner boasting Grade 1 wins in the 1998 Vosburgh, 1999 Cigar Mile and 2002 Carter, who is currently residing at Old Friends in Kentucky.

Russell said she's hopeful of a big effort but will hold off on dreaming too big just yet.

"I think we'll take it one step at a time," Russell said. "His last effort shows he deserves a chance to run with them and show that he belongs. I think we'll learn a lot about him on Saturday."

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