Brown has three for Wonder Again Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Significant Form heads a strong three-horse entry from trainer Chad Brown in Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park.

Thursday’s card is the first day of what the New York Racing Association bills as a three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival that concludes with next Saturday’s rich Belmont Stakes card. From Thursday through Saturday, Belmont will host 18 stakes worth $9.4 million in purses.

Brown has won two of the last three runnings of the Wonder Again, with Lady Eli in 2015 and New Money Honey in 2017. The race is the local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 7. Those two fillies also won the Oaks.

Significant Form, owned by model Stephanie Seymour Brant, is coming off a 6 1/2-length victory in the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct on April 22. That day, Significant Form made all the pace in a field that was void of speed. On Thursday, there may be a little more pace in the Wonder Again with the presence of the Southern California shipper Animosity.

Significant Form will break from post 5 under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Brown also entered Altea, a late-running third in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks and fifth in the Grade 3 Edgewood, as well as Mighty Scarlett, who is coming off a maiden win at Keeneland on April 27. Altea and Mighty Scarlett drew posts 1 and 2.

Also entered were Armoricaine, Adina Del Sur, Spinning Top, Daddy Is a Legend, La Signare, and Camila Princess.

Lady Alexandra tops Intercontinental

Lady Alexandra came off a 10-month layoff with a sensational effort in winning the License Fee Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths on April 29, earning a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

On Thursday, she will try to avoid the dreaded bounce when she faces nine rivals in the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes.

Lady Alexandra is 3 for 4 over the Belmont turf, including a second-level allowance win going seven furlongs, the distance of the Intercontinental, last summer.

Lady Alexandra drew post 6 in the Intercontinental and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Trainer Neil Drysdale, who has run only five horses at Belmont in the last 11 years, has La Sardane in the Intercontinental. A Group 2 winner in France, La Sardane bounced back from a disappointing North American debut at Keeneland in April with a good-looking allowance win at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Faypien, a multiple stakes winner on dirt for trainer Bob Baffert, will try turf for the first time in this spot. She has trained the last few weeks on turf at Belmont, and John Terranova, who has overseen her works, said, “She impressed us enough” to try the turf. “Maybe that’s what she’s looking for, maybe not,” Terranova said.

Faypien has been working in company with the Terranova-trained Heavenly Score, who returns to turf in the Intercontinental after two starts on dirt.

“At this level, turf is going to be her thing,” Terranova said of Heavenly Score. “She’s trained really well and is nice and fresh coming in here.”

Also entered were Always Thinking, Delectation, I’m Betty G, Malibu Stacy, Stormy Victory, and Thundering Sky.

Ward has two for Astoria

Seven debut winners and one maiden – none of whom has raced in New York – comprise the eight-horse field for Thursday’s $150,000 Astoria Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Trainer Wesley Ward, who has won 17 juvenile races this year, bookends the field with Wonder Stone, who drew the rail, and Athens Queen, who has the far outside. The fillies won their debuts at Keeneland a day apart.

In from Southern California are Tijori, who earned an 82 Beyer for her 3 1/4-length debut win at Santa Anita on May 11. Six Pack Gal also won her debut at Santa Anita by 3 1/2 lengths, earning a 50 Beyer, on May 17.

Eyeinthesky, trained by Mark Casse, won her debut at Churchill Downs, while Gallanor won hers at Laurel and Gorgeouswitha G won at first asking at Prairie Meadows. Lady Apple finished second in her debut at Laurel.