Hall of Fame - Wonder

Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 13 years 1 week ago

One of the top three year old fillies this racing season has been the sensational competitor Asleep As I Am who has been piling up stakes wins in races for her age group. In her last start, the statuesque filly won the Midsummer Oaks defeating Camouflage in good fashion. Before that, she beat stellar filly, Brat in the Metropolitan Oaks and also placed fourth to three of the top male colts in her age group in the Louisville Derby.

If her name rolls off the tongue in a familiar way, then the reason might be because this stakeswinning filly is the full sister of American Triple Crown winner Awake As I Am. Both are offspring of Hall of Famer and foundation sire Loki Dynasty and a broodmare named Wonder.

Wonder found great success on the race track and retired a champion there but after beginning her second career as a broodmare, she became a champion of a different class, good at producing at stake winning horses. But what Wonder is in reality, is one of the sport’s greatest bargain.

In the flesh, Wonder radiates beauty, standing regally in her stall at the Trial by Summer Stables as she receives visitors. Looking at her, you would never believe that a day took place when she stood in the Two Year Old in Training sales ring and after the final pound of the gavel, was sold to her new owner for a mere $5,000.

Her sire, Five Circles was an allowance winner who made good winning the Steward’s Cup Classic and thus, reaching the pinnacle of the sport. After he retired, he went to stud and sired winners on three different surfaces and two different racing disciplines. Her dam, the now deceased Now only raced three times in her career, winning once. But when she reached the breeding shed, she began producing winners including American Champion Older Male Then and a female runner named Baby who of course produced stakes winners like West and East who dominated the circuits the years they competed.

It took three starts for Wonder to break her maiden but after she did, there was no looking back. She won numerous stakes at classic distances including the Arkansas Derby, the Oaklawn Park Handicap and the Baltimore Special over both Empire and Loki Tragedy. She also placed third in the Louisville Derby and second in the Baltimore Crown beating California. In her last race, she finished third in the Steward’s Cup Classic. She finished her career on the track winning half her 16 starts and over $3.2 million in purse money. Not bad for a mare who sold for a bargain basement price! She also won awards as the champion three year old filly and Champion older mare.

She found immediate success in the breeding shed.

Her first foal, More by Fighter Jet won over $1.5 million in purses although she sold for $11 million. She won stakes like the Frizette at two and the Pacific Coast Highway Stakes and Fading Star Stakes at three. She also placed third in the Baltimore Crown to Sun Raider and Frisco Kid. In her final race, she finished third in the Steward’s Cup Distaff. She produced three foals so far including current three year old filly Boann who has already won multiple stakes including the Long Island Acorn defeating Chisel and the Little Lamb Stakes.

Most, a gray colt sired by Giacomo came next. During his racing career, he won several stakes including the Autumn Handicap and the Frisco Kid Stakes twice. His oldest offspring are now yearlings.

Next came the first successful Loki Dynasty progeny, Awake As I Am who raced two years and won many stakes including the American Triple Crown defeating the likes of East and Anvil. He also won the Steward’s Cup Juvenile in an eight length romp. After winning the Triple Crown, he went to stud and now commands a $125,000 stud fee and his first foals hit the racing scene this year. Offspring like Lady Hero who finished second in the Bodega Bay Stakes and Love As I Am who placed third in the Buckingham will only enhance his reputation at stud. Not to mention Altar who won the stakes named after her dam, Temple and scored a 100 speed rating.

Chestnut filly Djembe by former Horse of the Year Throne sold for just over $4.5 million and raced for three years so far. She’s won stakes every year and currently is putting her two stakes winning streak on the line in the upcoming Pristine Stakes.

Asleep As I Am came next and like her full brother, has been a dominating force in her division. As a yearling, she sold for a cardiac arrest inducing $31 million.

After her was All Sleep Well by Saga who broke her maiden in her second start scoring a speed rating of 82 before finishing second in her next start. The bay filly who sold for just over $22 million as a yearling has registered some impressive times over five furlongs in her workouts so it’s more likely than not that she will be winning stakes races soon.

Yearling, Awakeandwonderful by California cost his new owners$22 million as a yearling and prepared for his racing career by zipping five furlongs in under 59 seconds.

Her new foal for the year, Sound Asleep by Tot Ziens likely will command the same whopping sales price if he goes to auction next year.

With her arsenal of foals, Wonder has continued to make her mark in the highly competitive sport of horse racing. Years after she stepped off of the track as a champion, she has remained one inside the breeding shed as well.

A most fitting legacy for a mare who once sold for $5,000.

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