Bacio dazzles in Nunthorpe victory
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In four American starts, the 3-year-old colt Bacio has not so much as won a stakes race, but two races in England this year have turned him into a star sprinter. Bacio showed his vast talent acing a handicap at the Royal Ascot meeting in June, and on Friday at York Racecourse he took no prisoners in the Nunthorpe Stakes, one of the most important European sprints.
Restless in the starting gate, Bacio exploded out of it. He and jockey Juan Hernandez had at least a length on 17 rivals just a few strides into the Nunthorpe, and nobody ever got close to him.
Traveling strongly through the five-furlong straightaway, Bacio got a patient, confident ride from Hernandez, who got his picture taken after the milestone victory, then sprinted off to catch a plane bound for California, where Hernandez rides in the Pacific Classic on Saturday.
Trainer Wesley Ward won his first Nunthorpe with his fourth starter in the race. Bacio lacked the credentials of the three Ward runners that preceded him – Acapulco, Lady Aurelia, and Golden Pal – but has emerged as a straight-course star this summer. Golden Pal ran below form in the Nunthorpe, Acapulco finished a solid second, and Lady Aurelia was beaten a zot, but Bacio rolled home a 1 1/4-length winner over Starlust, the 2024 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner. Rumstar finished a nose back in third, while fourth-place Time for Sandals was the Nunthorpe’s tough-luck story, blocked repeatedly before finishing fastest when finally clear.
Bacio, the favorite, paid $7.10 on the American tote. A son of Maclean’s Music and Katie’s Kiss, by Kantharos, Bacio campaigns for Myracehorse/Gladwell/Daily/Dejablue, and raced in the Myracehorse silks Friday. In his quartet of American races, Bacio notched a debut win last year at Monmouth Park before finishing second in the listed Speakeasy Stakes and winning a Del Mar allowance in his juvenile finale. His first start this year produced a sharp two-length allowance score at Churchill Downs, and at Ascot, Bacio defeated 26 rivals in a blowout victory.
The Nunthorpe is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and Ward said Bacio will be aimed at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with an eye toward the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in Australia early next year.
Prix Jean Romanet
Diamond Necklace, who in six starts never has lost, will be favored Sunday at Deauville Racecourse in the rare European Group 1 race that her legendary trainer, Aidan O’Brien, never has won.
Diamond Necklace and 10 other older fillies and mares passed the final entry stage Friday for an unusually strong renewal of the Prix Jean Romanet. Diamond Necklace had been considered for the 1 1/2-mile Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday in England but instead races 1 1/4 miles in France, where her star power already has been on full display in a trio of top-class races.
Last fall, Diamond Necklace captured the Marcel-Boussac at Longchamp, and earlier this year she took down the French 1000 Guineas going one mile over heavy ground at Longchamp, then annexed the 1 5/16-mile French Oaks on firm going at Chantilly. Diamond Necklace stepped up to face older foes last month in the Nassau at Goodwood and won easily, but the Romanet is a much tougher spot.
The competition includes Pink Panthera, whose overall record doesn’t come close to Diamond Necklace’s, but Pink Panthera came very close to defeating Diamond Necklace in the French Oaks, falling a head short.
Other entrants of note are Group 1-winner Aventure and Cankoura, who just missed taking down the New York Stakes in June at Saratoga.
Ryan Moore rides Diamond Necklace who has two other O’Brien-trained horses, Beautify and Moments of Joy, to help grease her path.
O’Brien has three entered in the Group 1 Prix Morny, restricted to 2-year-olds and run over a straight six furlongs. Top stable rider Moore winds up on Mans Best Friend, who might be no better than Great Barrier Reef, the unbeaten mount of Wayne Lordan. Moore rode Great Barrier Reef his first two starts, but Lordan piloted the colt to victory over 20 rivals in the Coventry at Royal Ascot, Great Barrier Reef’s most recent start.
Man’s Best Friend didn’t even debut until 10 days after the Coventry, but really came to hand last month at Goodwood winning the six-furlong, Group 2 Richmond by one length.
Senorita Bonita, shipping from England for co-trainers Simon and Ed Crisford, rates a strong chance herself. Second of 27 in the five-furlong Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, Senorita Bonita stretched to six furlongs July 10 at Newmarket and won the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge by three-quarters of a length over Libertango, who returned to defeat 16 fillies in the Group 2 Lowther on Thursday at York.
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