Shane’s Wonder remains unbeaten with emphatic score in Wait For It
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Shane’s Wonder took an emphatic step forward in the $75,000 Wait For It Stakes on Wednesday at Parx Racing, easily handling three Pennsylvania-bred rivals in an impressive stakes debut. Undefeated in three starts, trainer Alfredo Velazquez described his 4 1/4-length victory like a procession.
“He was just playing with them,” Velazquez said.
Three 3-year-olds in the field of seven scratched from the Wait For It, with at least one trainer pulling out to avoid Shane’s Wonder. Coming off a 3 1/2-length allowance victory, for which he earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, his reputation preceded him in his return to statebred company.
With half his rivals out of the running before the starting gate, Shane’s Wonder broke evenly alongside his three remaining rivals, but it didn’t take jockey Eliseo Ruiz long to push the 1-5 favorite ahead from the rail. He took a half-length lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds, with Connor’s Crew and the filly Presenceisapresent chasing close behind.
Connor’s Crew didn’t last long and faded from his stalking position, but Presenceisapresent launched a mild bid on the far turn to challenge the leader through a half-mile in 45.29. The Juan Carlos Guerrero-trained filly made a race of it for a moment, but it only took the slightest urging from Ruiz for Shane’s Wonder to open up at the top of the stretch.
The race was straightforward from there, as the undefeated gelding left his three brave rivals far behind in a commanding score. He completed the six-furlong distance in 1:10.49 and paid $2.40 to win.
Gold In My Hands, who finished third behind Shane’s Wonder last time out, rallied to finish second in his stakes debut for trainer Hugo Padilla. He finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Butch Reid-trained colt Connor’s Crew, who picked up third over a zapped Presenceisapresent.
Velazquez has already been asked when, not if, he will ship Shane’s Wonder to New York. The trainer said he is not quite ready to commit to such a trip yet and would rather give his new star some more seasoning at Parx. He does not fear the future, however.
“We’re taking things slow, one step at a time,” Velazquez said. “But he can go anywhere.”
Unique Bella
Carmelina and Paco Lopez turned the $100,000 Unique Bella Stakes into a grand homecoming, kicking down the center with authority to notch her fifth career victory at Parx by 3 1/2 lengths. It was exactly what Butch Reid needed to see after an unlucky trip to Colonial Downs last month.
“I was glad I could allow her to run right out of her own stall,” Reid said. “She was great in the paddock and looked great the whole time, so I had a pretty good feeling she was going to run well.”
Lopez, who received a six-month suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority last year for repeated riding crop violations, had not won a stakes at Parx since September. The Wednesday card at Parx marked his second race day in the Mid-Atlantic region since his return, and he went on to win two stakes with Reid.
Last year, Lopez became well-acquainted with Carmelina, the well-traveled Pennsylvania-bred who completed her first campaign at home as a 4-year-old. Though she won her debut at Parx in June 2023, she did not race there again until May 2025 and went on to win three more races at the track, including the 2025 edition of the Unique Bella. She was the 3-2 favorite in her return Wednesday.
Even after scratching Kappa Kappa, Reid still had two strong chances to win the race with Carmelina and Disco Ebo. While Carmelina settled into a stalking position under Paco Lopez, Disco Ebo and Frankie Pennington surged forward to set the pace in the six-furlong sprint.
While the Reid-trained pacesetter completed the opening quarter-mile in 22.41 seconds and half-mile in 45.55, Carmelina chased just behind in second and swung out of the far turn with plenty of momentum. She kicked away to lead by two lengths at the top of the stretch and never looked back, completing the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.30. The statebred standout paid $5 to win.
Ruiz, who won the Wait For It aboard Shane’s Wonder before taking second in the next two stakes Wednesday, will begin a 30-day suspension tomorrow for an incident involving the 4-year-old filly Bailout Billy, in which the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission found that he failed to give his best effort aboard the idiosyncratic front-runner in a race March 31.
In the Unique Bella, her first race since her controversial half-length defeat under Ruiz, Bailout Billy bobbled slightly at the break under new jockey Dexter Haddock before being forced in on the backstretch. Keen and pulling on the reins while under a tight hold, she failed to make the early lead and was essentially eased to last.
Ruiz, who rode for Mike Moore in the Unique Bella, mustered a late rally to take second aboard Confirmed Star. The 6-year-old mare finished a half-length ahead of fellow closer Carousel Queen, who nipped Disco Ebo to take third for Scott Lake.
Page McKenney
As far as Reid is concerned, his strategy going forward will be to give Lopez his mounts and get out of his way. Immediately after his brilliant ride aboard Carmelina, the jockey found another perfect trip aboard Ninetyprcentmaddie to win the $100,000 Page McKenney Handicap, securing the trainer/jockey stakes double.
Toward the end of his 5-year-old campaign last year, Reid tried to stretch Ninetyprcentmaddie back out to route distances, believing it to be his preferred going. That strategy worked in several stakes starts, but cutting back to six furlongs off a four-month break proved just as effective.
“It looks like you just got to keep throwing him curveballs,” Reid said. “Short a couple times, then you go long. Then he comes back short and the first time, he pops. It looks like you got to keep him confused a little bit.”
The complexion of the McKenney changed drastically when front-runners Factor U and Me In and Fore Harp both scratched, leaving Twisted Ride as the lone speed.
Andy Hernandez was originally slated to ride the pacesetter, but the jockey was forced off his mounts Wednesday after a hard fall in the first race. Per agent Jimmy Boulmetis, he did not suffer any broken bones and was awaiting results for head scans. Ruiz took the mount for Mike Moore.
As expected, Twisted Ride took the early lead and blasted through an opening quarter-mile in 22.56, leaving a gaggle of horses to vie for stalking positions behind him. Breaking from the rail, Ninetyprcentmaddie managed a close fifth toward the inside.
Cruising through a half-mile in 45.50, Twisted Ride maintained control despite pressure from behind and kicked clear to lead by 1 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch. Ruiz urged the 7-year-old on and he responded well, but Ninetyprcentmaddie and Lopez had already advanced into second and kept coming.
It took a determined stretch run to finally put away the stubborn front-runner, but Ninetyprcentmaddie eventually wore Twisted Ride down and cleared him by a half-length. He completed the six-furlong distance in 1:09.78 and paid $6.20 to win.
“Another great job by Paco,” Reid said. “Waited his turn until that spot opened up for him, and then, fortunately, he didn't have to work his way through there.”
Insurmountable, a 9-1 outsider trained by Jeremiah Englehart, finished five lengths behind the top pair in a steady stalking trip.
Kohler’s was reluctant to load in the starting gate and was pulled up after a quarter-mile.
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