Champion Wonder Wheel among seven in Ashland

Apr 04, 2023 James Scully/TwinSpires.com

The $600,000 Ashland (G1), a major qualifier in the
Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, highlights Friday’s opening-day program
at Keeneland, and a nice field of seven three-year-old fillies is entered for
the 1 1/16-mile race.

Here are three talking points for the Ashland.

1. Wonder
Wheel figures to show speed in Keeneland return

Wonder Wheel
earned champion juvenile filly honors following wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Alcibiades (G1)
at
Keeneland last fall, but the Mark Casse-trained daughter of Into Mischief
will seek to rebound after finishing second at odds-on in her 2023 opener, the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

A wire-to-wire winner in the Alcibiades and Debutante S.
last summer, Wonder Wheel displayed her versatility after missing the break in
the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, rallying from 11th in the early stages, but
the dark bay miss appears likely to show speed after coming up a neck short
from just off the pace in the Suncoast. Especially with the other possible speed
in the Ashland drawn to her outside in post 2.

Wonder Wheel will take some beating with regular rider Tyler
Gaffalione.

2. Julia
Shining adds blinkers in field lacking speed

Julia Shining rallied
boldly to win the Demoiselle (G2) over a sloppy track in her
second career start last December, but the late runner was never a serious
threat checking in third in the Suncoast in her lone appearance this season.
Todd Pletcher will add blinkers to the full sister of two-time champion Malathaat,
and Julia Shining may try to race closer to the pace.

Some tactical ability appears advantageous given the
lack of projected pace in the seven-horse field.

3.
Punchbowl, Guns n’ Graces seek first stakes win

Punchbowl
overcame a poor start to win at first outing for Brad Cox in mid-February, and
the Uncle Mo filly stamped herself as one to watch when recording a sharp
frontrunning allowance score over two turns at Oaklawn Park on March 5, drawing
away to win by nearly five lengths. Flavien Prat will be up for her stakes
debut, and Punchbowl will try to validate herself as an up-and-coming presence
in the division.

Guns n’ Graces is
intriguing for Chad Brown following a fast-closing second in her stakes debut,
the March 4 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park. By Gun Runner and out of an
Empire Maker mare, the dark bay raced closer to the pace when breaking her
maiden by open lengths over a route at Tampa Bay Downs the second time out. She
cut back to seven furlongs for the Davona Dale, and Guns n’ Graces is a
candidate to keep progressing on the stretch back out to a favorable two-turn
distance.