Wonderment ends win drought with Dancin Renee

ELMONT, N.Y. - On paper, Clipthecouponannie and Absatootly had shown an affinity for a wet track, while Wonderment had not.

But not every wet track is the same, and on Saturday Wonderment relished the sloppy Belmont main track, posting a five-length victory over Absatootly in the $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.

Meanwhile, Clipthecouponannie, the 2-5 favorite, lost a photo to Court Dancer for third, costing bridgejumpers significant money. There was $135,468 bet to show on Clipthecouponannie out of $162,952 in the pool, triggering show payoffs of $15 on Wonderment, $9.30 on Absatootly and $11.60 on Court Dancer.

Clipthecouponannie, coming off a win in the slop at Pimlico in the Skipat Stakes, finished a nose in front of Super Allison, who dwelt at the start, conceding eight or nine lengths to the field.

Wonderment broke a 10-race losing streak with her victory in the Dancin Renee. She had won her first two career starts - both over a dry Belmont main track - as a 2-year-old. Her only win since came in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park in April 2016.

In her most recent start, Wonderment finished fourth in the Critical Eye, a one-mile race run over a sloppy, sealed Belmont surface. That day, Wonderment was kept inside by Joel Rosario and appeared to resent the kickback; he did rally for fourth when taken to the outside in the stretch by Rosario.

Dylan Davis kept Wonderment in the clear Saturday, away from the kickback. Fourth early behind pace-setting Court Dancer, Wonderment advanced into third on the outside and moved in tandem with Absatootly around the turn. In the stretch, Wonderment began to pull away from Absatootly and splashed home an easy winner.

Wonderment, a 4-year-old daughter of Cosmonaut trained by Ken McPeek for Walking L Thoroughbreds and Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, covered the six furlongs in 1:11.63 and returned $20.80.

“She broke very sharp, I let her settle in off the pace, just let her get a feel for the ground,” Davis said. “I built momentum middle of the turf and she was able to run them down. She liked it better than the others.”

For Davis, it was his second win on the card and fifth from 10 mounts over the last four racing days - coming after he endured an 0-for-35 skid.

Following the Dancing Renee, the remaining six races of Belmont’s card were canceled due to the jockeys' safety concerns regarding the wet main track and turf courses.