Trainer Wesley Ward sent out a bevy of horses bound for Royal Ascot to breeze over the Keeneland turf course the morning of May 26.
Among the horses, who each turned in half-mile works, were returning Royal Ascot contenders Love Reigns , fourth in the 2022 Queen Mary Stakes (G2), and Twilight Gleaming , runner-up in the 2021 Queen Mary, along with American Rascal , a 2-year-old Curlin colt out of the brilliant race mare Lady Aurelia , and fellow juvenile Fandom . All four horses captured races during Keeneland’s Spring Meet in April for the silks of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables.
The Royal Ascot race meeting will take place June 20-24 at Ascot Racecourse in England. Ward has netted 12 wins at Royal Ascot, the most of any United States trainer. He plans to send six horses over to compete at this year’s meeting.
American Rascal wins his debut at Keeneland
Impressive debut victor American Rascal was the first to work on the grass in company with Fandom. Breaking off a few lengths in front of Fandom, who took an April 27 maiden special weight on the grass by 6 3/4 lengths, American Rascal finished in tandem with the Showcasing colt at the wire. American Rascal was credited with :50 for the half-mile while Fandom was clocked in :49 3/5 over the course labeled “good.”
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“Julio (Garcia) was on him,” Ward said about American Rascal. “I wanted him to work nice and relaxed. Today was an ultra-impressive workout.”
Ward intends to race American Rascal in the June 22 Norfolk Stakes (G2) but has not determined the Royal Ascot race for Fandom.
Ward said he thought American Rascal’s talent would transfer to turf because of the success of Lady Aurelia. Also trained by Ward, the daughter of Scat Daddy landed the 2016 Queen Mary and 2017 King’s Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot and received the Cartier Racing Award as Europe’s 2-year-old filly of the year in 2016.
“To look at (American Rascal), he’s all speed,” Ward said. “He looks like a running back: muscles on muscles, very compact. Just excited to see the next couple of works here. As long as all goes well, we’re heading to the Norfolk and we’re really excited about it.”
Following that pair, Twilight Gleaming and Love Reigns worked a half-mile in company. Twilight Gleaming was timed in :50 while Love Reigns got the distance in :50 2/5.
“Those were two nice works as well,” Ward said. “Julio (on Twilight Gleaming) broke off quite a bit behind Love Reigns and made up the ground down the lane, just comfortably. They finished together at the wire.”
Twilight Gleaming, a comfortable winner of the Giant’s Causeway Stakes April 15, is targeting the June 20 King’s Stand for older horses while Limestone Stakes captress Love Reigns will run in the June 23 Commonwealth Cup (G1) for 3-year-olds. Both fillies will face males in their respective races.
Other Royal Ascot contenders breezing for Ward included Three Chimneys Farm’s Bundchen (:51 2/5), a 2-year-old Gun Runner filly who worked in company with Lael Stables’ Arrest Me Red (:51). The latter, a multiple graded stakes winner of $868,538, is being pointed toward the June 10 Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park. Bundchen, a $700,000 acquisition at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, was second by a nose in her April 28 Keeneland debut.
Ward’s remaining Royal Ascot candidate is Ed and Susie Orr’s Candymaker , a 2-year-old son of Twirling Candy colt who won his debut just four days ago on the turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Turf works at Keeneland are scheduled for the next two Fridays. Ward reported that his Royal Ascot squad would depart from the Indianapolis airport June 14 on a direct flight to London Stansted Airport. They will spend several days at nearby Chelmsford Racecourse before moving to Ascot.
Ward said Ortiz and Rosario will have the Royal Ascot mounts on the horses they have been riding.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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