Royal Ascot

Gainesway Stable's Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) was named 2022 New York-bred Horse of the Year--as well as champion 3-year-old filly and champion female turf horse--at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.'s annual awards ceremony, sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, at Saratoga National Golf Course Monday evening. Now four, the filly won a pair of graded events last spring before heading overseas for a runner-up effort in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. She returned Stateside to win the GI Del Mar Oaks in August. "It's...

Dual Australian Group 1 winner Coolangatta (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) is one of the leading runners signed on from foreign climbs for the upcoming Royal Ascot meeting in June. Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the G1 Lightning S. heroine is targeting the G1 King's Stand S. David Eustace said, "Coolangatta galloped yesterday and will have her first proper workout next week. She has improved again physically from the Lightning S. and we feel we are ahead of the game in terms of her preparation. "We are stepping into...

Royal Ascot is calling for American owner Leonard Green and his son Jonathan after Do It With Style (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), named after the family's first Grade I winner from over 30 years ago, marked herself down as a top-notch prospect on debut for Donnacha O'Brien at the Curragh on Monday. This is becoming a familiar success story for the Green family in Ireland who, frustrated with competing with the big guns in the sales ring back home in the States, decided to come up with a plan to...

A sprint specialist, Twilight Gleaming made her seasonal debut Saturday with a clear win in Keeneland's 5 ½ furlong Giant's Causeway S. The GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint winner from 2021, the Stonestreet-owned 'TDN Rising Star' won two of her four starts last year culminating in a fourth-place effort behind GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) in the GIII Franklin S. at Keeneland Oct. 16. Not seen since, Twilight Gleaning returned to the races with aplomb Saturday as the 5-2 favorite. Sitting pretty outside of Miner's Queen...

Topping a Wesley Ward-trained exacta, Love Reigns got her 3-year-old campaign off on the right foot with a late-charging win in Friday's FanDuel Limestone S. over her preferred 5 1/2-furlong distance. Named 'TDN Rising Star' off a 9 3/4-length romp at first asking over this same track nearly a year ago, the daughter of U S Navy Flag then tried her hand across the pond at Royal Ascot, checking in fourth beaten three lengths in the G2 Queen Mary S. Back in the States and back in the winner's circle...

The lure of winning top-level dirt races in America has prompted the owners of Missed The Cut (Quality Road) to transfer the Royal Ascot winner from Newmarket trainer George Boughey to John Sadler's California-based barn. Missed The Cut propelled Boughey onto the big stage when landing the Golden Gates S. Handicap at the royal meeting last year but disappointed as a 13-8 favorite when only managing fourth behind Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the G3 Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia when last seen.  A decision was made shortly after...

He may have had his colours lowered by British raider Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at Randwick last week, but Australian star Anamoe (Aus) (Street Boss) is still in contention to run at Royal Ascot this summer. A nine-time Group 1 winner in Australia, Anamoe could only manage third behind William Haggas's Dubai Honour, but connections are not giving up on the Ascot dream despite most firms pushing his odds for the G1 Queen Anne S. out to 12-1. Godolphin Australia spokesman...

A winner of the 2021 G1 Gold Cup at Ascot, Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) will point to the 2023 edition without another prep race, trainer Charlie Johnston revealed on Wednesday. Raced by Dr. Jim Walker, the 6-year-old entire has returned to the races after sustaining a tendon injury later in 2021. Unplaced in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. in Riyadh at the end of February, he was much improved when third in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on Mar. 25. He won that Meydan contest in 2021....

Dual Classic runner-up Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is targeting the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June, Tom Pennington, the racing and operations manager for owner Amo Racing, revealed on Friday. Pennington said of the Richard Hannon trainee, "I saw Mojo Star last week and he looks fantastic. He's working away and, touch wood, he's sound and in great form. "He's moving well and Richard couldn't be happier with him at the moment, so hopefully it's going to be an exciting season for him." Second in...

Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never) will make her 3-year-old bow in the G3 Musidora S. at York in May, according to trainer Richard Fahey, who also set early season targets for several stable stars. Last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland when she was fourth to Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), the bay filly was a debut winner at Doncaster in July and followed that with a victory in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. at Newmarket in October. Fahey will have her skip...

An American Dream: The Return To Royal Ascot, the first installment of a video series in the lead up to Royal Ascot, was launched by Great British Racing International (GBRI) and Ascot Racecourse on Wednesday morning. The series documents the journey of US-based syndicate operator Harlan Malter, as he tries to turn the dream of returning to Royal Ascot with a horse sired by his 2018 G1 King's Stand S. runner-turned-stallion Bucchero (Kantharos) into reality. In the first video installment, Malter reflects on his personal reasons for his ambitions, as...

Aidan O'Brien has nominated Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the ante-post favourite for the 2000 Guineas and the Derby, as being the horse who is most capable of emulating Nijinsky by winning the Triple Crown this season.  If successful, Auguste Rodin would bridge a 53-year gap, and complete a long-held ambition for the master of Ballydoyle, who came agonisingly close to achieving the feat with Camelot (GB) in 2013. Auguste Rodin is understood to have come out of an exercise gallop at the Curragh racecourse on Saturday in good...