Acapulco to lead Ward contingent at Royal Ascot

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Acapulco emerged in good order from her easy triumph in an overnight stakes Saturday at Churchill Downs and will ship soon to England, trainer Wesley Ward said Monday.

Acapulco had little trouble in winning the $65,000 Unbridled Sidney, a five-furlong race contested over a turf course that was rated firm but did have some give.

“She came back pretty tired, which is good,” said Ward. “I wanted her to get something out of it.”

Ward said seven of his horses, including Acapulco, are booked on a direct flight May 26 from Indianapolis to Stanstead, an international airport located some 30 miles northeast of London.

“We’ve already got one horse over there, so we’re looking to run eight” at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet that runs June 14-18, he said.

Owned by the Coolmore group, Acapulco will go next in either the King’s Stand or Commonwealth Cup, both Group 1 races. As a 2-year-old last summer, the Scat Daddy filly won the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot before finishing second against older males in the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe at York.

Ward said Acapulco and the other horses are going early enough to breeze twice prior to their races. They will be stabled at the Manton training center in Wiltshire.

Ward made racing history in 2009 when becoming the first American-based trainer to win a group stakes at Royal Ascot, doing so with Jealous Again in the Queen Mary.