Scully: Wonder Again anchors Thursday Pick 3 play at Belmont Park

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled live racing Thursday at Belmont Park due to poor air quality conditions. The Jersey Girl S. and Wonder Again (G2) will be redrawn Thursday and rescheduled for Sunday, June 11.

Thursday kicks off Belmont Stakes week, and the $200,000 Wonder Again (G2) highlights a pair of stakes on the 10-race program. I will single both stakes in a Pick 3 ticket.

The sequence kicks off in the seventh race, an allowance/optional claimer for turf sprinters, and my thoughts are below.

$10 Pick 3 (Race 7): 1,6 with 1 with 8 = $20

Race 7 – 6:15 p.m. ET

1A Runningwscissors (9-5) heads a formidable entry for David Jacobson, who is winning at a 37% clip through the first five weeks of the Belmont meet. The seven-year-old gelding has thrived since switching back to turf this spring, recording convincing wins at Aqueduct and Belmont Park over today’s six-furlong distance, and it’s easy to envision another strong showing with Irad Ortiz Jr.

I’ll also use the #6 Into the Sunrise (8-1), who weakened last time after failing to make the lead from the rail post. A more favorable pace set-up is projected, and the five-year-old gelding is well-drawn in post 5 for a forwardly-placed trip.

Race 8 – Jersey Girl S., 6:45 p.m. ET

#1 Red Carpet Ready (6-5) impressively reeled in odds-on Munnys Gold in the Eight Belles (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, recording a head decision at seven furlongs, and is now unbeaten from four starts at six to seven furlongs. The competition won’t be as tough in the six-furlong Jersey Girl. Red Carpet Ready appears to be training forwardly in the five-week interim for Rusty Arnold, possesses the speed to make her own trip from the rail, and I like her chances on the front end.

Race 9 – Wonder Again (G2), 7:15 p.m. ET

A solid field of eight three-year-old fillies will contest the Wonder Again at about 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf, and #8 Allamericanbeauty (8-1) will seek her first stakes win following an outstanding allowance tally at Keeneland. By Into Mischief, the Shug McGaughey-trained filly ran okay in a pair of races when switching to turf this winter, recording a maiden win at Gulfstream and a rallying fifth in the Florida Oaks (G1) at Tampa, and she took her game to another level last time over a speed-favoring turf course.

Rating near the back of an 11-horse field, Allamericanbeauty advanced along the rail on the far turn and experienced traffic trouble after swinging out for the stretch run, bumping repeatedly with rivals before closing dynamically into the frame. She got up to win by a half-length going away and was flattered when third-placer Safeen came back to win a $150,000 stakes next out. The race also produced a next-out allowance scorer at Churchill Downs. I’m keen on Allamericanbeauty’s up-and-coming form, and she offers value as the co-sixth choice on the morning line.