Thursday’s 8th race from Belmont Park is the Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes for three-year-old fillies traveling a mile and an eighth on the inner turf course (Post Time 6:45 p.m. ET).
#9 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS (9-2) ended her juvenile campaign with a sharp stalk and pounce maiden win in a turf route at Aqueduct, and began her sophomore season with an even better local optional claiming tally April 29. Chad Brown’s tactical filly owns a nice finishing kick and might get first run. She has a nice long distance turf pedigree and should like this trip.
#10 Plum Ali (5-1) captured her first three starts last year including the local Miss Grillo (G2) on the inner turf course. She finished an okay 5th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (G1), and returned with a rallying show finish in the slow early/fast late Appalachian (G2) at Keeneland April 3. She might like this longer trip and can compete here if she is able to work out a trip from the outside post under Joel Rosario.
#6 Gift List (7-2) followed up a runner-up finish in the common Appalachian (G2) in her stateside bow with a strong win in the Edgewood April 30. She can stalk and finish, and she was part of the exacta in all six career starts.
#5 Jouster (3-1) owns dangerous early speed for Todd Pletcher, and she is three-for-four with a nose defeat in turf routes. She controlled the pace and kept on going in the Appalachian (G2), and they probably won’t get her if she slows things down on the front end.
#7 Fluffy Socks (8-1) won a couple of stakes races as a two-year-old and just missed in another. She just missed in her April 18 return in the Memories of Silver Stakes, and she earned an improved late pace rating that day. She figures to relish the added distance of this race and might run them all down under Irad Ortiz Jr.
#2 Con Lima (6-1) is Jouster’s stablemate and she likes to get involved early. She was right there in all five turf starts and should make her presence felt throughout.
Wagers:
#9 to win
Trifecta 9-10/5-6-9-10/2-5-6-7-9-10
Recent Best Bet Winners
May 18 - CALL FITZROY ($12.00)
May 19 - MUNCEY ($9.60)
May 22 - Going Global/Golden Exacta ($15.40)
May 23 - None Above the Law/Seattle Bold Exacta ($26.80)
May 28 - Lalic/Smiling Annie Exacta ($36.80)
June 2 - RED NOON RISING ($6.20), Trifecta ($127.20)
