A competitive field of five is set to line up Saturday for Belmont's GIII Wonder Again S. Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front) enters off a pair of wins and receives Lasix for the first time here. Off the board in and off-the-turf event at Monmouth in her Sept. 7 career bow, the dark bay graduated on the lawn at the Oceanport oval three weeks later. She closed out her juvenile season with a victory in Aqueduct's Chelsey Flower S. Nov. 3 and has been working steadily towards this sophomore bow.
Robert and Lawana Low's Sweet Melania (American Pharoah) also makes her seasonal debut here. Just missing in the P.G. Johnson S. at Saratoga last term, she made amends with a dominant score in Keeneland's GII Jessamine S. Oct. 9 and was third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 1.
“I gave her a little time off and this seemed like a good launching spot,” Pletcher told the NYRA media department. “She's done well. She's grown and filled out a little bit. She's an easy filly to train and it seems like she's maintained her form from last fall.”
The lightly raced Selflessly (More Than Ready) kicks off her sophomore campaign here. Graduating at second asking in Belmont's GII Miss Grillo S. Sept. 29, she was fifth in the Breeders' Cup.
Unlike her aforementioned foes, Antoinette (Hard Spun) has made two starts this season, albeit on dirt, finishing third in both the Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks and May 1 Gardenia S. at Oaklawn. The Godolphine homebred closed 2019 with a win in an off-the-turf renewal of Aqueduct's Tepin S. Dec. 5, but prior to that broke her maiden on the grass in Elmont Oct. 24.
Rounding out the quintet is Highland Glory (Sky Mesa), who hails from the same barn as GI Belmont S. favorite Tiz the Law (Constitution). Earning her diploma at third asking in her first try on turf at Gulfstream Jan. 19, she captured that venue's Sanibel Island S. next out Mar. 28 and was second last time in the Honey Ryder S. there May 2.
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