Wondrwherecraigis showed no rust returning from a three-month layoff when going gate to wire Saturday in Laurel Park's $100,000 Fire Plug for older horses at six furlongs.
A 5-year-old gelded son of Munnings, Wondrwherecraigis ($3.20) bounded to an uncontested lead under jockey Jevian Toledo, cruised through fractions of 22.52 seconds and 45.98, and kept to his task in the stretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths over Youngest of Five.
It was a length back to Shackqueenking in third. Threes Over Deuces, Jaxon Traveler, Penguin Power, and Studio B completed the order of finish. Wondrwherecraigis polished off the distance in 1:10.71 and received a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
"It was visually impressive," trainer Brittany Russell said.
If not for being disqualified in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial on Sept. 18 at Laurel, Wondrwherecraigis would have extended his winning streak to five in the Fire Plug.
Second in the Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont in 2020, Wonderwherecraigis began his ascension with a 5 3/4-length win in an allowance event at Pimlico on July 18. The following month, he was the pacesetting victor of the restricted Tale of the Cat Stakes at Saratoga.
Placed second by the stewards in the De Francis, Wondrwherecraigis rebounded to capture the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont on Halloween. The Bold Ruler was Russell's first graded stakes victory.
Wondrwherecraigis was scheduled to contest Aqueduct's Gravesend Stakes on Dec. 19 but was scratched due to a foot infection.
Russell said Sunday morning that Wondrwherecraigis came out of the Fire Plug "in great order." There are no concrete plans for the next start, but Russell basically ruled out the upcoming Grade 3 General George at Laurel on Feb. 19. "It seems with horses like this, even though they're sprinters, they still need a little bit of time. We want to keep him right for the year."
The winner was bred in Kentucky by Fleur de Lis Stables and hails from the female family of Grade 1 winners Affirmed Success, Exbourne, and Expelled.
What A Summer: Time Limit gets first stakes win
Time Limit has been a remarkably consistent performer for her entire career. Saturday at Laurel Park, she earned her first stakes victory when downing 11 rivals in the $100,000 What A Summer Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs.
Time Limit ($17.40) broke well and settled outside pacesetter Princess Kokachin through fractions of 23.64 and 46.50. Jockey Victor Carrasco had Time Limit on the move on the outside, and they jabbed at Princess Kokachin turning for home.
Time Limit eventually got the better of Princess Kokachin, then held off late-kicking Kaylasaurus to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:11.39. The What A Summer was Carrasco's third stakes victory of the day.
Kaylasaurus nipped Princess Kokachin for the place by three-quarters of a length. Then came Prodigy Doll, Regal Retort, Bunting, Fille d'Esprit, Dont' Call Me Mary, Hibiscus Punch, Phantom Shot, Whiskey and Rye, and Our Sweet Girl.
Time Limit has now hit the board in 15 of 17 starts, including her last 13 races. Trained by Michael Maker for Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm, Time Limit won her career debut in 2019 at Belmont. She placed in four stakes races that season, including the Grade 3 Matron on turf.
Time Limit missed all of 2020 due to injury but enjoyed a productive season on both turf and dirt last year. She won three times and finished a close second in the Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes at Del Mar. The What A Summer was Time Limit's second start of 2022. She placed third in the Nelson J. Menard Memorial on turf at Fair Grounds on New Year's Day.
The What A Summer winner was bred in New York by Hibiscus Stables and is by Bustin Stones. She has won 5 of 17 starts for earnings of $518,120.
