Fitz Right extends her winning streak in the G2 Wonder Again presented by Shift4

Fitz Right became a graded stakes winner and remained undefeated in 2026 by rolling right past the leaders late in Friday's Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again presented by Shift4, contested by sophomore fillies at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course on Day Three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. 

With her third consecutive victory as a 3-year-old and second straight stakes score this season for owners Michael Dubb, William Lawrence, the Elkstone Group, and Michael Kisber, Fitz Right gave trainer Chad Brown a record-extending seventh Wonder Again score. Brown's previous winners include outstanding turf females Segesta [2024], Prerequisite [2023], Consumer Spending [2022], Cambier Parc [2019], New Money Honey [2017], and Lady Eli [2015].

Fitz Right, a daughter of Charlatan who took the Listed Memories of Silver at Aqueduct Racetrack in her last start April 26, bided her time under reigning Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat as Coach Mazzula took the early lead over the firm turf and set modest fractions of 24.42, 48.48, and 1:11.61 under Manny Franco for the first six furlongs.

Heading into the far turn, Lion Lake, the 6-5 favorite in the field of seven who had stumbled badly out of the gate, took over the front through one-mile in 1:34.50 while piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, with Fitz Right racing comfortably in third. 

Lion Lake maintained her lead in the lane, but Fitz Right got the best of her near the eighth pole and then she dug in to the wire under strong urging from Prat as they finished in the final time of 1:40.39 and prevailed by one length. Lion Lake, with the assist of a determined hand ride since Velazquez had lost his crop after the furlong marker, was three-quarters of a length in front of Time to Dream, who closed willingly under Irad Ortiz, Jr. Coach Mazzula, Quiet Street, Call On Me, and Tax Holiday followed the top three home. Soloist and main-track only entrant Pashmina were scratched.

Brown, who also saddled Tax Holiday, said, “I'm very pleased. She [Fitz Right] got a dream trip with a nice pace duel in front of her between two good fillies. There was no sure thing they would come back to us, but Flavien saved all the ground, was able to get out and give her at least a chance.

“When the two fillies came to even terms at the end of the race, our filly just had a little more want. I'm very proud of her,” Brown continued. “She's really developed from two to three. I want to congratulate and thank the owners for their patience. She trained sort of middle-of-the-road as a 2-year-old, they let me back up on her, rest her this winter, and sure enough she got a lot stronger, and a lot faster."

Prat was also impressed with Fitz Right, who was dispatched at 3-1 as the second choice, saying, "I had a good draw, so I wanted to take advantage of it. I didn’t feel like we were going that fast for the way the track was playing. I thought we were going quite easy. I felt like I was the only one who could keep up with the pace and second-guessed myself, briefly, but then I thought I was behind good horses, so I wanted to stay there and be involved. I was able to save ground all the way around and tip out when I wanted to, then she made a good run.” 

Lion Lake was making her first trip to Saratoga after finishing a close third to her Brendan Walsh-trained stablemate Imaginationthelady in the Grade 2 Edgewood at Churchill Downs in her last effort on May 1. Velazquez was aboard that day as well.

“Other than stumbling out of the gate, it was a good trip,” Velazquez said. “We got beat again. She seems to find somebody who runs better in the last part of the race, but she runs really good. I love to ride her. She gives you what she can, that’s for sure. There was not much pace in the race today. We had to be there. We knew she was going to be close to the lead. I did not want her to stumble coming out of the gate, but she got in a good position.”

Though disappointed in the outcome, Walsh was proud of his charge.

“She ran her race. She’s never let us down. It was a good effort again. I think she just got outrun by a better filly on the day. I liked where we were. Johnny said he got a good trip. He got her to relax nicely down the back, and she finished up well. I thought when she got in front of that filly that we were there, but she came back. Hats off to her," he said. 

Fitz Right, out of the Henny Hughes mare I'm a Looker, improved her record to 4-1-0 in six outings and upped her earnings to $301,950 with the $165,000 with the winner's share of the purse. She paid $8.18 for a $2 win wager. She has now won four of her last five races after graduating from the maiden ranks at second asking last September.

Fitz Right, bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, is likely now being pointed to the Grade 1, $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies on July 4, at Saratoga Race Course.

"I'd have to think that makes sense. She trains here locally. She got a nice run over this turf course. It doesn't seem like a little more extra distance would bother her," Brown said. 

Live racing resumes Saturday, Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga, with a stacked 14-race card encompassing six Grade 1s among seven graded events, highlighted by the 158th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 13 at 7:04 p.m. Eastern.

The lucrative program includes the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap [Race 11] - a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan [Race 12]; the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing [Race 7]; the Grade 3, $400,000 True North [Race 8]; the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur [Race 9] – a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; and the Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun [Race 10]. First post is 11 a.m. with gates open to the public at 9 a.m.

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the five-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.