Sep 29, 2016
Wonder Gal makes stakes return in G2 Gallant Bloom
by Heather Pettinger
Fresh off a runaway return facing softer company, Treadway Racing's Wonder Gal wades back into deeper waters to take on six rivals in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park.
Wonder Gal, trained by Leah Gyarmati, proved untouchable in her first start in nearly seven months, posting an emphatic 11 ½-length victory against fellow New York-breds in a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming race on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course.
"She had a very impressive race and she bounced out of that pretty good and we'll see," said Gyarmati. "Hopefully we can put two fantastic races together. I think there's enough time in between races. She seems to be coming into this race very well."
Despite earning graded stakes-placings while routing on five separate occasions, the 4-year-old Tiz Wonderful filly had dabbled in shorter distances before, including her 14 ½-length debut victory in the six-furlong Lynbrook in 2014 and fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie at seven-eighths in February. It was her most recent performance, however, that ultimately encouraged her connections to test her sprinting ability.
"The reason she ran 6 ½ last time was that she was coming off a layoff, the timing was right, she was ready and that's the race that went," Gyarmati said. "She ran so well [sprinting], you don't want to change anything. Why mess with it?"
Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the mount aboard Wonder Gal, a $210,000 2-year-old in-training purchase. Installed at 5-2 on the morning line, the pair will break from the outside post.
"I have a good post position outside," Gyarmati noted. "We can kind of see what everybody does inside of us. It looks like there's a couple of horses that will go and hopefully we can relax off of them and come running and open up."
Wonder Gal will face stiff competition from 2015 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Wavell Avenue from the barn of Chad Brown. This summer, the Ontario-bred daughter of Harlington made her first trip back to the winner's circle, nearly nine months after her 1 ¾-length Breeders' Cup victory, with a last-to-first rally in the Shine Again on August 3 at Saratoga. Wavell Avenue failed to factor in the Grade 1 Ballerina 3 ½ weeks later, checking in a dull sixth on August 27.
Wavell Avenue, the 3-1 program choice, will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 6.
Vincent Scuderi's homebred Paulassilverlining will look to bounce back from her fifth-place finish in the Ballerina for trainer Michelle Nevin. By Ghostzapper, the 4-year-old sprint specialist posted back-to-back Grade 3 victories this spring, taking the Distaff and Vagrancy Handicaps by a combined seven lengths. In her only other start this summer, Paulassilverlining turned in a valiant runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on July 27 at the Spa, checking in neck behind Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint hopeful Haveyougoneaway.
At 3-1 on the morning line, Paulassilverlining will break from post 4 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.
Winner of the Union Avenue on August 18 at Saratoga, Hot City Girl has been entered for Lady Sheila Stable, although trainer Linda Rice said the 4-year-old half-sister to champion sprinter La Verdad is currently "50-50" to start.
"She's been pointing towards this race but she's come up with a little bit of a foot abscess out of her last breeze," said Rice. "We're working through that and hopefully we'll be ready by Saturday. We've just got to wait and see."
Rounding out the field for the Gallant Bloom are Smart Choice Stable's Fusaichi Red for trainer George Weaver; Union Avenue runner-up Quezon for owner Marc Keller and trainer Bobby Ribaudo; and Two Tone Farms' Momameamaria, second in the Shine Again last time out, from the barn of David Cannizzo.
The field for the Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bloom:
|
PP |
HORSE |
A/S |
JOCKEY |
WGT |
TRAINER |
ML |
|
1 |
Fusaichi Red |
4/F |
115 |
30-1 |
||
|
2 |
Quezon |
4/F |
114 |
10-1 |
||
|
3 |
Hot City Girl |
4/F |
118 |
5-1 |
||
|
4 |
Paulassilverlining |
4/F |
120 |
3-1 |
||
|
5 |
Momameamaria |
4/F |
114 |
15-1 |
||
|
6 |
Wavell Avenue |
5/M |
121 |
2-1 |
||
|
7 |
Wonder Gal |
4/F |
117 |
5-2 |
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