Wonder Gadot Blitzes Rivals in Prince of Wales

Warming up for the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes July 24 at Fort Erie, Hall of Famer John Velazquez called an audible.

With Queen's Plate winner Wonder Gadot on her toes and the track a sea of slop, the jockey wanted nothing to do with muddy kickback in their run for the second jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

"I was warming her up and the more I looked at the track, I couldn't have her behind horses today. I wanted to keep her face clean," Velazquez said.

Although Wonder Gadot had never been over a sloppy track, nor on the lead with Velazquez in the irons, she took command from the first step Tuesday and led five male rivals on a merry chase en route to a 5 3/4-length drubbing in the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales. As in the June 30 Queen's Plate at Woodbine, the first in the trio of races for Canadian-bred sophomores, Aheadbyacentury finished second and Cooler Mike came in third to Gary Barber's Medaglia d'Oro  filly.

"She always gives 100 percent. I'm very proud of her. It was a different surface. A different (running) style today and she responded to what I wanted her to do," Velazquez said.

Canada's champion 2-year-old filly of 2017, Wonder Gadot took the Mazarine Stakes (G3) in front-running fashion under Patrick Husbands last season at Woodbine, but accomplished wins under Velazquez like her 2017 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) score at Aqueduct Racetrack and her 4 3/4-length Queen's Plate victory last out with stalk-and-pounce tactics.

"It was so sloppy and so muddy, Johnny said she warmed up good and he just got her away from there," Casse said.

Wonder Gadot was sent off as the 2-5 favorite in a field of six and carried 121 pounds, a five-pound allowance. She set fractions of :23.65 and :48.03 with Cooler Mike in pursuit a length behind, and Velazquez had plenty of horse heading into the turn for home through three-quarters in 1:12.96.

Aheadbyacentury, who raced last of six in the early going, moved into contention as Wonder Gadot put Cooler Mike away—but there was no catching the brave bay filly, who drew off through a 1:39.04 mile and stopped the clock in 1:58.71. She returned $2.80 and $2.10. Cooler Mike held for third, 13 1/4 lengths back, while the order of finish was completed by Eskiminzin, Absolution, and Home Base.

"Now we know she likes Tapeta, slop, turf, and dirt. We've pretty well got it covered," trainer Mark Casse remarked of Wonder Gadot. "She's an amazing horse. She's Wonder Woman. She just gets bigger and stronger."

It was the second consecutive victory for Wonder Gadot, who has been off the board just once in 13 starts. Her record improved to 5-4-3 for earnings of $1,381,261. She was runner-up by a head to Dixie Moon in the June 9 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, and she dropped the May 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) by half a length to divisional standout Monomoy Girl in the start before that. 

The last Queen's Plate winner who went on to capture the Prince of Wales Stakes was Wando in 2003. Wando is also the most recent Canadian Triple Crown winner, and although Wonder Gadot is in a position to try and accomplish that rare sweep, the Aug. 18 Alabama Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course is another tantalizing option.

"It's something Gary (Barber) and I will talk about," the trainer said of the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf Aug. 18 at Woodbine. "There's a possibility of the Breeders', (but) it's just very difficult as it messes up our plans a little bit."

While the prospect of becoming the first Triple Crown champion since 2003 carries its own appeal, Casse is keen on a rematch with Monomoy Girl, who has since added grade 1 wins in the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park and the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

"It's a longshot but we still want a shot to be champion 3-year-old in North America. By going a mile and a half on the grass, it just doesn't really fit in to what we're trying to do," the trainer said. "Right now, she's running on the dirt and going a mile and an eighth, a mile and three-sixteenths, and a mile and a quarter. To go a mile and a half on the grass ... in all honesty, her least preferred surface in my opinion is the grass."

With Monomoy Girl expected to make her next start in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing, a showdown between the two would likely come in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs.

"We'll probably try to go to the Alabama and then the (Breeders' Cup) Distaff," Casse said. "We know she likes Churchill Downs, so that's definitely something we're going to point for as well. I have the utmost respect for Monomoy Girl and she'll be tough, but if anybody can beat her I think we can. We're not giving up."

Wonder Gadot, bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms out of the Vindication mare Loving Vindication, is the sixth filly to win the Prince of Wales (the last was Dixie Strike in 2012). She was a $325,000 purchase by TM Investments from Eisaman Equine's consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales April 2017 Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, after Eisaman pinhooked her from the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $80,000.