Wonder Again Stakes
| Class | Grade II |
|---|---|
| Location | Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States |
| Inaugurated | 2014 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing – Inner Turf |
| Website | nyra.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄8 miles |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old fillies |
| Purse | $200,000 (2023) |
The Wonder Again Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies aged three years old held over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the inner turf scheduled annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.[1][2] The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.[1][2]
History
[edit | edit source]The race is named after the Grade I winner Wonder Again, full sister to Grass Wonder (Japanese-trained), who won the GI Garden City Breeders' Cup (2002) and GI Diana Handicap (2004).[2][3]
The race was inaugurated in 25 May 2014 with a stakes purse of $200,000.[1]
In 2017 the event was classified as Grade III, and promoted to Grade II in 2022.[1]
The event is considered a preparatory race for the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes which is held in July.
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA scheduled the event in their updated and shortened spring-summer meeting with a shorter distance of one mile.[4]
In 2024 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.[5]
In 2025 the event was moved to Saratoga and due to the inclement weather was held on a sloppy dirt track. In a three-horse event Nitrogen won by a stakes record 17 lengths.[6]
Records
[edit | edit source]Speed record:
- 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:46.34 Camber Parc (2019)
Largest margin of victory:
- 17 lengths – Nitrogen (2025)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 3 – Irad Ortiz Jr. (2014, 2015, 2024)
- 3 – José L. Ortiz (2019, 2020, 2025)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 6 – Chad C. Brown (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Most wins by an owner:
- No owner has won this race more than once.
Winners
[edit | edit source]| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Saratoga | |||||||||
| 2025 | Nitrogen | José L. Ortiz | Mark E. Casse | D. J. Stables | 1 mile | 1:36.16 | $261,000 | III | Off turf[7] |
| At Aqueduct | |||||||||
| 2024 | Segesta | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Juddmonte Farms | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.24 | $200,000 | II | [8] |
| At Belmont Park | |||||||||
| 2023 | Prerequisite | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | First Row Partners & Team Hanley | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.20 | $200,000 | II | [9] |
| 2022 | Consumer Spending | Manny Franco | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.73 | $194,000 | III | [10] |
| 2021 | Con Lima | Flavien Prat | Todd A. Pletcher | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus & Troy Johnson | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.84 | $200,000 | III | [11] |
| 2020 | Sweet Melania | José L. Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | Lawana L. & Robert Low | 1 mile | 1:34.24 | $145,500 | III | [12] |
| 2019 | Cambier Parc | José L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | OXO Equine | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.34 | $194,000 | III | [13] |
| 2018 | La Signare (FR) | Joel Rosario | Brian A. Lynch | Madaket Stables, T&A Cambron, Bradley Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.84 | $200,000 | III | [14] |
| 2017 | New Money Honey | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | e Five Racing Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.01 | $200,000 | III | [15] |
| 2016 | Time and Motion | John R. Velazquez | James J. Toner | Phillips Racing Partnership | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.48 | $200,000 | Listed | [16] |
| 2015 | Lady Eli | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Sheep Pond Partners | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.94 | $200,000 | [17] | |
| 2014 | Sea Queen | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Christophe Clement | Stonetower Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.89 | $200,000 | [18] | |
Notes:
Fillies in bold have won the Wonder Again Stakes – Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes double
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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