Searching for Value in the 2022 Wonder Again Stakes

A trio of black-type events will headline the Thursday card at Belmont Park, led by the $200,000 Wonder Again S. (G2) The grassy route affair on the inner turf attracted a field of seven sophomore fillies, with one of those being a main-track only contestant.

I am having a hard time looking past the Chad Brown-trained #3 Consumer Spending (4-5) in the top slot, but there will be value in the vertical exotics.

Consumer Spending has never run a bad race to this stage of her development, which included four solid efforts at two, led by a convincing score in the Selima S. at Laurel Park. The daughter of More Than Ready capped her juvenile campaign with a nice try in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Fillies (G1) when being defeated by just 1 3/4 lengths.

Bred in the Bluegrass State, the gray kicked off 2022 with an excellent tally in the Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct when upending the superb Pizza Bianca under today’s pilot Manny Franco. The filly possesses a fine turn of foot, and she has displayed enough tactical speed in the past to figure that she will be within range throughout on Thursday, as well. I expect her to take command inside the final furlong en route to victory.

Trainer Christophe Clement has a pair entered for the turf, including recent maiden romper #2 Myriskyaffair (12-1). By Verrazano, the gray has improved her Brisnet Speed figure with each lifetime performance, breaking through last time out with a daylight victory over a sloppy, sealed oval here.

Her lone turf try, which came at Keeneland two back, was the one that made me intrigued in her abilities. In that 1 3/16-mile event over a ‘good’ lawn, the Kentucky-bred put in a strong late rally to finish runner-up while earning a healthy 93 Late Pace figure for her work. The Cedar Hill homebred is still developing, and I envision her taking back early before making one run in the stretch and earning the place spot late. Regular pilot Joel Rosario will retain the mount atop the longshot exotics contender.

Wonder Again Value Play

• $40 exacta: 3 with 2 ($40)