Trainer Wesley Ward sent out a group of 2-year-old fillies to work Friday over the turf at Arlington Park, including a pair that is scheduled to make their next starts during the Royal Ascot meeting in about a month's time.
Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), a $350,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, had Jose Valdivia Jr. in the saddle and worked three-eighths of a mile around the dogs over the expansive Arlington turf course in :34 flat, enough to convince Ward that she was worthy of the overseas trip.
“We're planning on the [G2] Queen Mary [S. for her next start], especially after this work,” said Ward, who sent out Acapulco, also a daughter of Scat Daddy, to break her maiden in last year's Queen Mary. “That answered all the questions [as to how] she liked the grass. They've all breezed in Florida, but the grass in Kentucky [Keeneland and Churchill] and at Arlington is much different than the grass down in Florida, it's a different type of turf. This is similar to what we'd be racing on in England.”
Owned by Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton and Peter Leidel, Lady Aurelia made one start at Keeneland, setting a new track record of :50.85 en route to a 7 1/2-length victory Apr. 21.
Big City Dreamin (Iqbaal) was also on trial Friday morning and was put through her paces by jockey Chris Emigh. Though perhaps not as flashy as Lady Aurelia, she covered her three furlongs in :35.40. Bred in Florida by the trainer, Big City Dreamin was also a debut winner at Keeneland Apr. 8.
“She's a big filly, and she won beautifully on opening day at Keeneland, but she showed great promise down on the grass in Florida,” explained Ward. “I brought her up [before that win] and she had a beautiful breeze on the Polytrack at Turfway Park. I'm really hopeful for her. I think she's going to emerge on the grass as something.”
Big City Dreamin is penciled in for the Windsor Castle S.
Ward also reported that St Elias Stables' homebred Create a Dream (Oasis Dream {GB}), ridden by Valdivia Jr. to an impressive debut success at Ascot Apr. 27, will soon join Ward's other Royal Ascot runners at Manton House, with an eye on the Queen Mary.
“She'll jump right in there at Manton,” Ward told the Arlington notes team. “It's an unbelievably beautiful facility over there that Robert Sangster won three [runnings of the] Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe out of in years past. The place is just opulent; it's an amazing place to train. They'll go over there and get a work in, if not two.”
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