Wonder Gal training up to Gazelle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Officially, Leah Gyarmati is the trainer of Wonder Gal. This winter, it is Mother Nature who seems to be calling all the shots.

Gyarmati debated whether to run Wonder Gal once before the Grade 2 Gazelle on April 4 and eventually opted to enter her in a first-level allowance race for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies that was scheduled for Friday. But New York Racing Association officials canceled Friday’s card due to snow, so Gyarmati on Friday worked Wonder Gal six furlongs in 1:16.57 over the Belmont training track.

Wonder Gal, who has not started since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, will now train up to the Gazelle.

Gyarmati clocked Wonder Gal going out seven furlongs in 1:29.40 and a mile in 1:44.60.

“Maybe it’s better that it happened this way,” she said. “I got to do a little longer work and didn’t have to get her all revved up. I was back and forth whether I should [run] or not, and God or NYRA told me I made the wrong choice.”

Reminder: Meet extended

Originally, Sunday was scheduled to be the final day of racing over the inner track. But with so many cards having to be canceled by inclement weather and safety concerns – 16 full cards and seven races of another card – NYRA announced last month that the meet would be extended.

There will be live racing here Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the upcoming week. There is no racing next Sunday, March 29, due to the archaic law that mandates that NYRA must be shut down on Palm Sunday.

Racing moves to the main track April 1.