Once again, Wonder Gadot gallant in defeat

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Wonder Gadot was beaten a neck in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds to start her season.

Two starts later, she lost by less than a length in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

Three weeks ago, she was edged by a nose in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn.

Nevertheless, she persisted.

On Friday at Churchill Downs, Wonder Gadot finished second in the Kentucky Oaks, beaten a half-length by Monomoy Girl. Even after yet another close defeat, trainer Mark Casse said he was proud of her.

“I’m very proud of her,” Casse said with a tired grin moments after the race. “She’s definitely a Wonder Woman.”

Wonder Gadot, who is owned by film executive Gary Barber, is named for “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot.

Monomoy Girl and Wonder Gadot came down the stretch together and made contact near the wire. Wonder Gadot’s rider, John Velazquez, claimed foul against Monomoy Girl’s rider, Florent Geroux, but the stewards disallowed it.

Wonder Gadot was fourth with a half-mile remaining in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks. She made a three-wide run around the turn to pull alongside Monomoy Girl straightening away into the lane, and the two fillies gamely threw down. Nearing the final sixteenth, Geroux hit Monomoy Girl left-handed. Wonder Gadot jumped from her right lead to her left, and Monomoy Girl edged away in the final yards for a half-length victory.

“I was on the lead fighting all the way down the lane,” Velazquez said. “He comes left-handed, my horse got knocked off balance. He pushed a head in front of me and beat me.”

Casse, who stood on the track with his filly and his rider watching the replay on the infield screens several times, concurred that changing leads so near the wire did likely cost Wonder Gadot, but said he understood the stewards’ decision in a race of this magnitude.

“The filly that won ran very game and came back,” Casse said. “There was contact, and it made our filly switch leads. It was going to be really close. I think the stewards made the right call. To take a horse down in this type of race, it has to be pretty significant. As much as I would have liked to have won, I understand the ruling. I think we were right in claiming foul, because there was contact, and the third one caused us to jump our lead.”

So Wonder Gadot, who won the Demoiselle and Mazarine last year en route to being named Canada’s Sovereign Award champion 2-year-old filly, has another tough beat on her record. Not that it will affect her personality. Casse said the filly remains a fighter even after incurring defeats that would cause another horse to lose heart.

“You come back there in an hour, and if you're not careful, she'll kick you,” Casse said. “She's a tough filly. I'm proud of her.”

As for what’s next for Wonder Gadot, Casse said he was uncertain. The barn has another talented 3-year-old dirt filly in unbeaten Road to Victory, who is coming back from an extended break since taking the Golden Rod in November at Churchill, where she edged none other than Monomoy Girl.

Casse said Road to Victory is "coming back really well,” and could make the Acorn Stakes on the Belmont undercard. That would rule that out as a spot for Wonder Gadot, because he doesn’t want to pit the two against one another.