Wondergirl Carly is a young filly carrying one of the more unusual ownership stories in modern American racing. She was foaled in 2022, a daughter of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner out of the mare Wonderment. She was purchased for $650,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy for his Go Go Greys Stable, the racing operation he had built around Saratoga. Her name is a tribute to Carly Mann, a Barstool personality and longtime friend of the company. Lindsay Schultz was given the training assignment.
Wondergirl Carly's road to the racetrack was a long one. She had a series of physical setbacks during her two year old season, including double knee surgery, that kept her from running for many months. Lindsay Schultz patiently brought her along, and Dave Portnoy kept his fans updated through Barstool channels with frequent posts about the filly's progress. The investment of time and patience matched the size of the price tag, and by the fall of 2025 she was finally ready for her first start.
The debut came in the seventh race at Parx Racing on October 20, 2025. Wondergirl Carly went off in a six furlong maiden race with Samuel Marin in the saddle, and she ran like she had been waiting for this moment all year. She drew off in the stretch and rolled home a four and a half length winner, picking up the first victory of Dave Portnoy's ownership career. The Barstool faithful celebrated as the daughter of Gun Runner announced herself as a horse worth following.
Wondergirl Carly's career is just getting started, and her connections will look to build on that promising debut as she heads toward stakes company. The filly has a flashy enough pedigree, with Gun Runner at the top of the page, to make her a real prospect for bigger races in the months and years ahead. Wondergirl Carly is remembered for now as the horse who finally gave Dave Portnoy his first trip to the winner's circle, and as a filly whose patient connections turned a year of setbacks into a happy debut at Parx.
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