Lady Eli battles through traffic to remain undefeated in Wonder Again

ELMONT, N.Y. – The official margin of victory will show a half-length, but Lady Eli was several more lengths the best in Sunday’s $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park.

Bottled up between horses behind a pedestrian pace, Irad Ortiz Jr. was able to get Lady Eli out in the clear just above the eighth pole, and she was able to wear down the front-running tandem of Heath and Pine Needles to remain undefeated in five starts.

Heath, who tracked Pine Needles throughout fractions of 25.06 seconds, 51.10, and 1:15.95 for six furlongs, was able to outfinish Pine Needles and get second by a head. Pine Needles was followed in order by Itsonlyactingdad, My Sweet Girl, Miss Chatelaine, Puca, and Pangburn.

Lady Eli, who ran the about 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:49.74 over firm turf, returned $2.40 as the 1-5 favorite.

There definitely were some anxious moments for her backers and connections as Lady Eli raced between horses while in sixth position down the backside. Trainer Chad Brown, sensing the pace would be slow, had instructed Ortiz to try to lay closer to the pace, but Ortiz said he couldn’t get to an attending position early and found himself between horses and behind horses for a good part of the journey.

“I tried to follow the instructions, which were to be a little more close because trainer told me there were was no pace in the race,” Ortiz said. “I tried, but I can’t get clear, so I was covered up all the way.”

Inside the three-sixteenths pole, Ortiz was able to get Lady Eli in the clear, and once there, she was able to outfinish Heath and Pine Needles.

“This filly was training terrific,” Brown said. “She had to overcome a lot today – stretching out in distance, slow pace bottled up for most of the way. Additionally, her being as big as she is, to be bottled up like that is a bit challenging. She got through, won geared down again. Exciting to think about five weeks from now.”

Brown, who trains Lady Eli for a group that races under the moniker Sheep Pond Partners, was referring to the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational at 1 1/4 miles July 4.

“Those fillies that finished right inside of her ran very well,” Brown said. “When you have a slow pace and a finish like that, you’re going to have a lot of horses together on the line. I’m happy with my horse. She won with plenty left, and she won’t have any problem getting a mile and a quarter, especially if she gets more pace to run at.”