Wonderment wheels back on short rest in Lynbrook

ELMONT, N.Y. – Wonderment overcame some adversity to win her career debut July 9 at Belmont Park. On Sunday, she’ll have to overcome a short turnaround if she is to win her second start in the $125,000 Lynbrook Stakes, the closing-day feature at Belmont Park.

The Lynbrook, for 2-year-old fillies, is one of six races restricted to New York-breds on a 10-race card that closes the curtain on the 59-day Belmont Park spring-summer meeting. Racing on this circuit moves to Saratoga starting Friday.

Wonderment, a daughter of Cosmonaut, had to steady sharply nearing the three-eighths pole of her five-furlong debut. She recovered quickly, was tipped four wide by Joel Rosario, and closed well to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Trainer Ken McPeek said he is wheeling Wonderment back because she came out of the race well and there isn’t another race for her until the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28.

“She didn’t run on Lasix, and she did that basically off one half-mile breeze,” McPeek said. “We didn’t do a whole lot with her. There are not many opportunities for something like that. We figured it wasn’t going to hurt her.”

Not anticipating Wonderment running back in this race, Rosario had taken a call on the first-time starter Bag of Tricks for this race. Thus, Javier Castellano will ride Wonderment from post 5.

Bag of Tricks will be coupled in the wagering with Preying Mantis. Both are first-time starters owned by Chester and Mary Broman. Starting next week, there will no longer be coupled entries in stakes races worth a minimum of $50,000.

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The Lynbrook field includes four runners from a June 24 maiden race here, including Crowd Control, who won the race by 1 1/2 lengths despite drifting out in the stretch. Young Anna Lee, Sea Pebble, and D’bunnyphone, the second-, third-, and fifth-place finishers from that race, also are back.

Key contenders

Wonderment (Last Beyer: 61)

Rosario had to take up sharply on the filly approaching the three-eighths pole, owing more to immaturity than anything else.

“I thought she was completely beaten when she got stopped on the turn,” McPeek said. “She kept on grinding.”

DRF Formulator: Over the last five years, McPeek is 7 for 59 (5 for 44 in stakes) with 2-year-olds who won their previous start.

Young Anna Lee (Last Beyer: 50)

Runner-up to Crowd Control in her debut when breaking from the rail, sitting behind horses, and closing well despite altering course.

“She got bounced around early, split horses, and made a nice run,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “She breezed well in between. I expect her to move forward and run a huge race.”

Bag of Tricks (No previous Beyer)

First-time starter has been working with Spin Cycle, who was scheduled to run in Saturday’s Rockville Centre at Belmont.

“If the colt runs good, she’ll run just as good,” trainer John Kimmel said.