Skims Looks to Make the Grade in Wonder Again

Andrew Rosen's Skims  will look to make the grade June 9 in the $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes (G2T), a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies on opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

The Wonder Again offers the top three finishers an automatic invitation to the $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T), the July 9 opening leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series for fillies.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Skims graduated at second asking over the Aqueduct Racetrack turf in November and followed up in February with a head score in an allowance-level tilt at Tampa Bay Downs in her seasonal debut.

The British homebred daughter of Frankel  overcame a troubled start last out in the April 9 Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Keeneland to finish third, less than three lengths in arrears of the undefeated multiple graded stakes winner Spendarella , who is targeting the June 17 Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.

"It wasn't the cleanest of trips, but I thought she ran a good race," McGaughey said. "The winner was in front the whole way, so whether we'd have caught her or not, I don't know. She's trained really well since and we're looking forward to running her."

Skims will exit the outside post 7 under Flavien Prat.

Trainer Chad Brown has won three of the eight editions of the Wonder Again and will send out Consumer Spending . Klaravich Stables' daughter of More Than Ready   captured the Selima Stakes in October at Laurel Park ahead of a close sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) in November at Del Mar, where she was defeated less than two lengths by the victorious Pizza Bianca .

Consumer Spending launched her current campaign in the 1 1/16-mile Memories of Silver Stakes April 24 at the Big A, rallying to post a three-quarter length score over Pizza Bianca. She will emerge from post 3 under Manny Franco.

Gary Broad's Vergara , winner of the Tepin Stakes in November over the Big A turf, will stretch back out in distance for trainer Graham Motion.

The Noble Mission  bay graduated at second asking in October, traveling nine furlongs over the Laurel Park turf ahead of her three-quarter length score in the 1 1/16-mile Tepin.

She made her seasonal debut with an off-the-board effort in the Bourbonette Oaks in April over the Turfway Park synthetic, but rebounded with a game effort in the one-mile Hilltop May 20 at Pimlico to finish third, defeated 1 3/4 lengths by Pizza Bianca.

"At the top of the stretch I was slightly concerned, but she really grinded it out. It's not often you run in the Hilltop and have to face the Breeders' Cup winner," Motion said. "I think that effort points to her wanting more distance. Most of the other races for her are a mile and I think she really wants to go further. This race will be a good test for her to see if she has the quality to go to the Belmont Oaks.

"She's come out of the Hilltop well and I'm very happy with her since. If there was a time to come back in three weeks, I think this is the time to do it," Motion said. "I gave her plenty of time to get over the Turfway debacle and this will help us decide what to do the rest of the summer."

Luis Saez retains the mount from post 6.

Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, and Golconda Stable's Shad Nation  and Cedar Hill's Myriskyaffair  for trainer Christophe Clement, and maiden winner Sweet Sensation  for trainer Tom Albertrani round out the field.

Entries: Wonder Again S. (G2T)

Belmont Park, Thursday, June 09, 2022, Race 3

• Grade II
• About 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Shad Nation (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Christophe Clement	5/1
2	2Myriskyaffair (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Christophe Clement	12/1
3	3Consumer Spending (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Chad C. Brown	4/5
4	4Sweet Sensation (MD)	Trevor McCarthy	118	Thomas Albertrani	30/1
5	5Tap the Faith (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Christophe Clement	2/1
6	6Vergara (KY)	Luis Saez	122	H. Graham Motion	5/1
7	7Skims (GB)	Flavien Prat	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	5/2