Keeneland announced that the 86th running of the $600,000 Ashland S. (G1) on Friday, April, 7, opening day of the Spring Meet, drew a total of 88 nominees, including Kentucky-bred Wonder Wheel, D.J. Stable’s Eclipse Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 2022.

Winner of last fall’s Alcibiades S. (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland, Wonder Wheel, has already made her seasonal debut for trainer Mark Casse, finishing a close second to Dreaming of Snow in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11.

Bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and Clearsky Farms, Wonder Wheel was a $275,000 Keeneland September Sale acquisition for D. J. Stable. The daughter of Into Mischief has won four of six starts and earned $1,570,725. Prior to the Alcibiades score, Wonder Wheel finished second in the Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga in her lone defeat at two and captured the Debutante S. at Churchill Downs in her second career start last summer.

Among the additional prominent nominees to the Ashland is Godolphin’s Kentucky-bred Pretty Mischievous, winner of the Rachel Alexandra S (G2) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18 in her 2023 debut. The homebred daughter of Into Mischief is conditioned by Brendan Walsh and she has won four of five starts and earned $421,310 to date.

Also nominated are Kentucky-bred Hoosier Philly, third in the Rachel Alexandra and winner of the Golden Rod S. (G2) last year at two; Kentucky-bred Chop Chop, runner-up to Wonder Wheel in the Alcibiades at two; Kentucky-bred Julia Shining, winner of last year’s Demoiselle S. (G2) and third in this year’s Suncoast S.; and Kentucky-bred Leave No Trace, victorious in last year’s Spinaway S. (G1) and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

The late nomination deadline for the Ashland is March 22.