Consumer Spending stretches out a bit in Wonder Again

ELMONT, N.Y. – A two-time stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles, Consumer Spending attempts to stretch out a little farther while improving her résumé in Thursday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Wonder Again, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf, kicks off the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on a nine-race card that includes a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds. There are 17 stakes scheduled to be run between Thursday and Saturday, culminating with the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown.

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NYRA has its own three-race series for 3-year-old fillies and colts on turf. Thursday’s Wonder Again is the stepping-stone to the first of those races for fillies, that being the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks on July 9.

At 2, Consumer Spending won a maiden race and the Selima at Laurel Park, both at 1 1/8 miles. Consumer Spending kicked off her 3-year-old campaign with a three-quarter-length victory over Pizza Bianca, a filly who beat Consumer Spending by 1 3/4 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall, in the Memories of Silver April 24 at Aqueduct.

Trainer Chad Brown said he’s noticed a significant change in Consumer Spending from 2 to 3.

“She’s definitely settled better. She was a bit of a wiry 2-year-old mentally,” Brown said. “She’s matured quite a bit mentally and I think that’s the biggest thing I saw. She was very professional in her race, the way she acted and the way she finished her race off. I was very pleased to see that.”

Brown feels Consumer Spending is bred well enough to stretch out in distance.

There is rain in the forecast Wednesday into Thursday. Consumer Spending won her maiden at Saratoga by 4 1/2 lengths over ground labeled yielding.

“I think she tolerated it,” Brown said. “I’d rather it be firmer but she certainly handled it.”

Skims, trained by Shug McGaughey, comes into this race off a third-place finish behind Spendarella in the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on April 9. She was in tight and got bumped entering the first turn of that race, encountered some traffic at the head of the lane, and finished with interest.

“We didn’t get a clear run. Who knows what would have happened?” McGaughey said. “She’s done very, very well since that race and I’m looking forward to running her on Thursday.”

McGaughey said he wouldn’t mind if the turf came up on the soft side.

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“I don’t think that would be a problem for a Frankel, would it?” said McGaughey, referring to the sire of Skims. “She’s not a big filly; I wouldn’t think that would be a problem.”

Trainer Christophe Clement entered three horses, led by Shad Nation. A debut winner here last fall going 1 1/16 miles, Shad Nation has since finished out of the money in two stakes. She finished third in a first-level allowance on April 28 at Keeneland, a race in which she saved ground until the top of the lane before tipping out for the stretch.

“She ran really well at Keeneland,” Clement said. “It was a strong race.”

Horses coming out of that race are 0 for 9.

Clement also entered Myriskyaffair, a 14-length winner in an off-the-turf maiden race here on May 19. Clement said he is not sure to run Myriskyaffair. Clement also entered Tap the Faith, who would only run if the race is moved to the main track.

Vergara, trained by Graham Motion, comes off a third to Pizza Bianca in the Hilltop at Pimlico on May 20. In her lone race in New York, Vergara won the Tepin Stakes going 1 1/16-miles at Aqueduct. Her maiden win at Laurel came at the Wonder Again distance of 1 1/8 miles.

Sweet Sensation, a winner for maiden $32,000 claiming completes the field.

With a small field, the Wonder Again was carded as the third race on a nine-race card that begins at 3:05 p.m.