Lion Lake Listed as Clear Favorite in Wonder Again

Exiting her winter in Florida a grade 3 winner, Emcee Stable's Lion Lake  spent her early spring facing Kentucky's biggest challenges for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. Having earned plenty of respect with strong showings, she now shifts to Saratoga Race Course as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the $300,000 Wonder Again Stakes (G2T) June 5.

Although favored in her last three maiden starts, the daughter of Dark Angel  has not been trusted by the bettors in her three graded stakes attempts, never breaking below odds of 5-1. Yet, trainer Brendan Walsh has had her ready to fire each time. Winning February's Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, she now exits a pair of third-place finishes in both the April 4 Appalachian Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland and May 1 Edgewood Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs. Both times, she lost by only a neck.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez was aboard for both of those starts and retains the mount from the outside post in the eight-horse field.

Video: Edgewood S. presented by Accenture (G2T)

None of the fillies that finished ahead of her in those Kentucky starts return for this 1 1/16-mile contest on the inner turf, but Lion Lake is joined from the Edgewood by Repole Stable's Time to Dream . The Not This Time   filly raced off the pace in that race, and although seventh, she made her way up to be beaten by just 2 1/2 lengths.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will now saddle Time to Dream in the familiar Saratoga setting where she began her career 2-for-2 with a stakes win last summer. With regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle, she breaks from post 5 as the 9-2 third choice.

Godolphin homebred Quiet Street , a juvenile stakes winner at Kentucky Downs, is the only other contender with Saratoga experience, breaking her maiden traveling 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf in August. Her lone start over the 1 1/16-mile distance resulted in a third in last October's Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Of course a turf race in New York can't be held without glancing inside Chad Brown's barn. The six-time Wonder Again winner, who has won the last three editions held on turf, enters two fillies off victories. Fitz Right  was granted the 4-1 second-choice honors in this field after coming from off the pace to win the April 26 Memories Of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct for owners Michael Dubb, William Lawrence, The Elkstone Group, and Michael Kisber.

The Charlatan   filly is joined by her Kingman   stablemate Tax Holiday , who enters off a neck maiden victory for Klaravich Stables.

Madaket Stables' Coach Mazzula  is likely to be among the horses first out of the gate off a successful stakes debut May 15 in Laurel Park's Hilltop Stakes.

Last year's Wonder Again was moved to the dirt course because of rain, launching Nitrogen  on a path that led her to an Alabama Stakes (G1) win and sophomore filly championship honors. Should the same happen this year, Red White and Blue Racing's Pashmina  sits as an even-money, main-track-only entrant exiting an 11th-place finish in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1).