(October 6, 2004)- Wonder Again, a multiple Grade I winner who took the Diana Handicap at Saratoga by more than five lengths, will be among the early arrivals at Lone Star Park for the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The 5-year-old hopeful for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf will ship to Grand Prairie, Texas on Oct. 18, according to trainer James Toner.

The trainer said there are multiple reasons for Wonder Again's arrival almost two weeks prior to her date with the best female turf horses in the world.

"I want to be down there to get her acclimated," Toner said. "She has been sort of questionable shipping, so we want to make sure we give her enough time in case anything does go wrong. And I do want to get her a work over the grass. They'll be open every day Breeders' Cup week [for turf workouts]."

Toner said Wonder Again will connect to a Tex Sutton charter flight leaving Kentucky on Oct. 18. Owners Joan and John Phillips hope to stable the near-millionaire (lifetime earnings: $956,582) in trainer Steve Asmussen's barn.

Wonder Again disappointed as the favorite in last weekend's Flower Bowl, finishing a close-up sixth. Toner said his mare came out of the race in fine shape and has room to improve for the big race in 24 days.

"They ran pretty fast the last part of it and I guess with the weight (123 pounds) and this, that, and the other thing, we got beat a length-and-a-half," Toner said. "Stylewise, I think she's better off when she's covered up. Not that Edgar [Prado] did anything wrong. It looked like a perfect trip the way it was, but I've checked things out with her and it seems like she's better when she's covered up. If she got beat five or six lengths we wouldn't even be thinking about [the Breeders' Cup], but we were right there giving five or six pounds to everybody and there was two months between races. When you get beat by just that far you hate to give up right now. Was it the weight? Was it the track? Was it this? Was it that? I can make up a length-and-a-half."

Toner expects Wonder Again to return to her summer form. "After the two races in July I think I backed up and went a little bit easy on her," he said. "Maybe a little too easy."

October 18 Flight Starts Busy Flight Schedule for Texas Sutton

An early morning charter flight on Monday, Oct. 18 will bring the first wave of shippers to Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie for the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

According to Paul Holthus of the H.E. Tex Sutton Forwarding Co., those with reservations for the flight include (with probable race and trainer): Whitney Handicap winner Roses in May ($4 million Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge, Dale Romans); 3-year-old Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational winner Kitten's Joy ($2 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf, Romans); Joe Hirsch runner-up Magistretti (Turf, Patrick Biancone); undefeated Matron Stakes winner Sense of Style ($1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Biancone); Saratoga maiden winner Scipion ($1.5 miilion Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Biancone); Diana Handicap winner Wonder Again ($1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, James Toner); Arlington-Washington Lassie winner Culinary (Juvenile Fillies, Michael Stidham); Arlington Matron third Indy Groove ($1 million Breeders' Cup Distaff - Presented by Nextel, Thomas Proctor) and Atto Mile third Royal Regalia ($1.5 Million NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile, Justin Nixon).

Sutton also said there is a reservation the next day, Oct. 19, for Vosburgh Handicap winner Pico Central ($1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint, Paulo Lobo) from Southern California to Texas. The winner of three Grade I events this year would have to be supplemented to the Sprint by owner Gary Tanaka for $200,000.

Other Tex Sutton flights into the Dallas Fort Worth area for Breeders' Cup contenders include one on Oct. 24 originating in New York and stopping in Kentucky; one on Oct. 25 from Southern California; flights on Oct. 26 from both Kentucky and Southern California; and flights on Oct. 27 from Southern California and New York.