Wonderment Wires Bourbonette Cast

Magdalena Racing and Chris Sterbenz' Wonderment went to the front from post 2 at the break of the $100,000 Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) at Turfway Park and never looked back, winning the one-mile event in 1:39.04. Cornelio Velasquez was aboard the New York-bred daughter of Cosmonaut   for trainer Kenny McPeek.



A winner of two of three starts against state-bred competition, Wonderment came into the Bourbonette off a third-place finish Feb. 20 in the Franklin Square Stakes at Aqueduct. All three of her previous starts had come at five or six furlongs.



"We knew she had speed, but the concern was whether or not she could use that front-running style around two turns," Sterbenz said after the race. "Cornelio placed her perfectly."



Wonderment, the 4-1 second choice in the Bourbonette, went to the lead and set solid splits of :23.25 and :47.07 over Turfway Park's Polytrack. Favored Marquee Miss gave chase, as did American Doll. Wonderment held a commanding lead while coming wide out of the far turn after six furlongs in 1:13.05 and opened up on Marquee Miss in the lane, hitting seven furlongs in 1:25.96.



In deep stretch Inconclusive just got up to pip Marquee Miss for the place spot. Miss Meteor finished fourth.



The winner paid $10, $5.60, and $3.40. Inconclusive paid $8.80 and $4.80, and Marquee Miss paid $3.20. The $2 exacta, 2-8, returned $86.60.

American Doll was fifth and was followed by Lookout Sister, Egyptian Honey, Artesian, Castlei's Angel, Dorodansa, Lemon Drop Belle, and Red Fern Doll.



Lope (No. 12), and Red Atlantic (No. 14) were scratched.

"That last race (the Franklin Square) she was really sharp, and her gallops have been getting stronger and stronger, and her breezes have been so sharp, we were confident that she would like the route of ground," said Alan Shell, assistant for McPeek.



"We work a lot of horses in company, young horses like her, but we can't really work her in company. We probably spend more time in the morning trying to slow her down because we don't want her to do too much. She used that speed today."



At 2, Wonderment won the six-furlong Lynbrook Stakes in mid-July at Belmont Park. Bred by Michael S. Landers, Wonderment is the fourth foal of A Wonder She Is, by Three Wonders. A Wonder She Is was a two-time winner. Wonderment's third dam is stakes-placed Video Babe, the dam of the grade I-winning Videogenic.



Wonderment sold to Baccari Bloodstock for $24,000 out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga October mixed sale from the Sally Thomas, agent, consignment. Baccari Bloodstock, agent, offered Wonderment at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of preferred New York-breds but she RNA'd at $47,000.