Dream Dancing Heads Deep Group for Wonder Again

The good news for Dream Dancing is the daughter of Tapit   won't have to deal with friendly rival La Coronel when she starts in the $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park June 8.

But the Mark Casse trainee still has a salty slate of five expected challengers to contend with in the 1 1/8-mile event as she gets out of her stablemate's shadow for a day.

With fellow John Oxley-owned La Coronel prepping for a trip to Royal Ascot to contest the Coronation Stakes (G1), Dream Dancing has an opportunity to shine in the deep sophomore turf fillies ranks when she breaks from post 2 in the Wonder Again, the first of 15 graded stakes for the three-day festival, which concludes June 10 with the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Dream Dancing has been among those futilely chasing La Coronel in her last couple outings. After finishing fourth to the daughter of Colonel John in the April 13 Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G3T) at Keeneland, Dream Dancing was part of a 1-2 finish for her connections in the May 5 Edgewood Stakes Presented by Forcht Bank (G3T) at Churchill Downs, falling just half a length short of the win.

Prior to knocking heads with her stablemate, Dream Dancing began her sophomore season in terrific fashion, with a victory in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park Jan. 28 and a win over fellow Wonder Again entrant Coasted in the March 4 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T). A start in the July 8 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) has been mentioned by Casse as a main objective for Dream Dancing, but she will have to get past some established divisional foes before that step can be taken.

New Money Honey is one of three Chad Brown-trained entrants in the Wonder Again, and she ended her 2-year-old season with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) last November. The bay daughter of Medaglia d'Oro   finished sixth in the Appalachian Stakes, her seasonal bow, but won the Oct. 2 Miss Grillo Stakes (G3T) over the inner turf at Belmont.

Fifty Five, one of New Money Honey's stablemates, bested La Coronel earlier this year when she took the March 11 Florida Oaks (G3T) by a neck over that rival and was most recently third in April 23 Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Treadway Racing Stable's Coasted, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, came in 10th last time out in the Appalachian and will be seeking her first graded stakes win.

"That's the challenge in the 3-year-old year; some either step up and improve and others stay the same, so you need to see where you are," said Leah Gyarmati, trainer of Coasted.

Bonita Bianca, for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, is entered for the main track only.

Wonder Again S. (G3)

Belmont Park, Thursday, June 08, 2017, Race 3

• 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Coasted (KY)	Jose Lezcano	121	Leah Gyarmati	-
2	Dream Dancing (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Mark E. Casse	-
3	Enchanting Kitten (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	115	Chad C. Brown	-
4	Fifty Five (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Chad C. Brown	-
5	Corporate Queen (KY)	Joel Rosario	115	Mark E. Casse	-
6	Bonita Bianca (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Rudy R. Rodriguez	-
7	New Money Honey (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Chad C. Brown	-