Segesta threads needle to give Brown third straight Wonder Again

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Heavily favored Sweet Rebecca could not overcome taking a bad step at the five-sixteenths pole, but Segesta proved a more than capable understudy for trainer Chad Brown as she won Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct by a half-length over Sy B.

The win gave Brown his third straight and sixth overall victory in the Wonder Again, a race being run for the 11th time. Brown won the second running of this race in 2015 with Lady Eli.

Sweet Rebecca was sent off the 3-4 favorite after two easy victories, including one in the Memories of Silver Stakes. Under Tyler Gaffalione, Sweet Rebecca was sitting a comfortable second, off the flank of the pacesetting Curlin’s Girl. Just as Sweet Rebecca came to the five-sixteenths pole poised to take over, she bobbled and was basically done thereafter. She finished fifth of six.

“The ground kind of got away from her,” Gaffalione said. “She was traveling well in hand, I was fairly confident up to that point. After that, she never got comfortable, never really got back underneath herself, got bounced around a little bit, was very uncomfortable after the mishap.”

:: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!

Meanwhile, Irad Ortiz Jr. had Segesta, coming off just a maiden victory at Keeneland last out, sitting a close-up third. Ortiz envisioned himself being on the lead, but was okay to concede it to Curlin’s Girl, under Jose Lezcano, and then Sweet Rebecca.

Ortiz said when Sweet Rebecca bobbled there was room for him to go in between her and Curlin’s Girl with Segesta and he took advantage of that opportunity. After making the lead in midstretch, Segesta held off a late-running Sy B to secure the victory.

“When [Sweet Rebecca] slipped and lost all the momentum she wasn’t available to hold position and make the turn,” Ortiz said. “There was plenty of room for me to go through there and I went for it and it worked out good.”

Segesta, a daughter of Ghostzapper owned and bred by Juddmonte Farms, covered the 1 1/8 miles over firm ground in 1:48.24 and returned $10 to win.

Brown said he would look to run Segesta in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks here on July 6.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.