Sunday spot plays for the Wonder Where and Athenia

Curlin's Voyage winning the Woodbine Oaks. (Photo by Michael Burns Photo)

Picks and plays on a $50 budget for Sunday’s Wonder Where S. and Athenia (G3) at Woodbine.

Woodbine, Race 8: Wonder Where S. (4:45 p.m. ET)

Woodbine Oaks winner #6 Curlin’s Voyage (9-5) is a clear favorite to prevail in the final leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, but the daughter of Curlin has never run on turf, and the 1 1/4-mile distance might be pushing the limits of her stamina.

In a race packed with Woodbine locals, I’m intrigued by the New York shipper #10 Forty Zip (8-1). After she hit the board without winning in her first three starts, Forty Zip broke through in a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Belmont Park, where she rallied from just off the pace to win by a nose.

Phipps Stable’s Harlem Heights ran another great race on the turf with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard but came up a nose short on Sunday at Belmont. The winner Forty Zip is also trained by Shug McGaughey and was ridden by John Velazquez. pic.twitter.com/HC40jP5d4u
— Phipps Stable Fan (@PhippsStableFan) September 27, 2020

A daughter of City Zip, out of a Distorted Humor mare, Forty Zip has the pedigree to handle 1 1/4 miles.

The 88 Brisnet Speed rating produced by her maiden win fits well in the Wonder Where field, which stamps Forty Zip as a live longshot for trainer Shug McGaughey.

$20 to win on #10 Forty Zip

Belmont Park, Race 9: Athenia (G3, 4:55 p.m. ET)

Trainer Chad Brown holds a formidable hand in this 1 1/16-mile turf test, with #5 Altea (6-1), #7 She’s Got You (4-1), and #8 Tapit Today (6-1). But while all three are classy and capable stakes performers, none have won at the graded level. Altea and Tapit Today have failed to win a stakes of any kind.

Rather than split hairs with the Brown trainees, I’ll favor the chances of #6 Sweet Bye and Bye (3-1), the runner-up in the 2019 Athenia. A quick allowance winner at Saratoga two starts back, Sweet Bye and Bye ran a big race in the Sept. 26 Noble Damsel (G3) at Belmont, where she tracked blazing fractions of :22.17, :44.85, and 1:08.38 and finished third, a length behind the winner.