Wonderment much the best in Lynbrook

by Sarah Mace

Wheeling back just ten days after overcoming a difficult trip to achieve a debut maiden victory, Wonderment, a grey/roan daughter of New York sire Cosmonaut (Saratoga Stud, LLC[2]), delivered a professional performance for her first black type score when she took the $125,000 Lynbrook Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies by a decisive six-plus lengths.

Running for a second time without Lasix and breaking well from post four for the six-furlong contest, Wonderment (8-5 second choice) immediately set up in the two path at the flank of Young Anna Lee, another sharp breaker to her inside. The pair separated themselves from the other four fillies and cruised their way through a quarter-mile in 22.96 and a half in 46.64.

Wonderment drew even and raced in tandem with Young Anna Lee through the latter half of the far turn before swinging out three-wide into the lane for the drive. Taking over in upper stretch she drew off to a much-the-best 6 3/4-length factory in a final time of 1:11.47. Young Anna Lee held on for second, followed 2 1/2 lengths back by first-time starter Bag of Tricks, half of a favored Broman entry (3-2). [VIDEO[3]]

Joel Rosario rode Wonderment to her maiden victory, but did not anticipate her being entered in the Lynbrook so took the call on the Bag of Tricks. Jockey Javier Castellano, who picked up the mount, emerged with a very positive impression. “It was perfect,” said Castellano. “She broke well out of the gate. She’s a smart filly, she put me in a good spot in the race and I just went with the flow. She was very professional. I’m very blessed to ride these kinds of horses.”

Castellano continued, “I felt I had a lot of horse and didn’t want to use her too much because it’s so hot today; I didn’t want to ask her early. She responded so well and kicked very well at the top of the stretch. I think [she could go farther]. She galloped out steady and strong. I don’t think she’ll have a problem with an extra furlong in the future.”

Trained by Ken McPeek, Wonderment is owned jointly by Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing and Chris Sterbenz. McPeek said he decided to run the filly back relatively quickly because she came out of her debut well and there wasn’t another race for her until the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga on August 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.”

After the Lynbrook, McPeek’s assistant Jeff Odintz said, “She came in great. We had run her ten days ago, but she was ready to go. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have run her. She won this for fun. She actually did it a lot easier than I thought she would. She’s a nice filly, she can run.”

Bred by Michael S. Landers and foaled at Mill Creek Farm [4]in Stillwater, Wonderment sold as a weanling to Baccari Bloodstock for $24,000. At the 2014 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, she did not attain her reserve when bid up to $47,000.

An earner of $111,000 from her two victories, Wonderment is one of three winners from three foals to start out of A Wonder She is, a winning daughter of Three Wonders from the family of Videogenic. She is also the dam of six-figure earner Persuasive Devil by Closing Argument. The mare currently has a yearling filly by Twirling Candy named Arabesque and weanling colt by Discreetly Mine.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/07/19/wonderment-much-the-best-in-lynbrook/

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