The Foxes sprints home in slow-paced Royal Lodge Stakes

The Foxes finished fastest to post a 6-1 upset in a farcically slow-paced renewal of the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes on Saturday at Newmarket Racecourse in England.

The one-mile, straight course Royal Lodge is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, but post-race there was more talk of The Foxes being a 2023 Derby horse than a candidate to travel to Keeneland this fall for the BC Juvenile Turf.

However, juveniles from the pair of Group 1 six-furlong sprint races Saturday at Newmarket figure to show up at Keeneland. Lezoo, who upset Medidate in the Cheveley Park, was mentioned by trainer Ralph Beckett as a possible runner in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Blackbeard, who won his second Group 1 sprint in a row, capturing the Middle Park, likely has raced for the last time this season, but third-place Persian Force could be a Juvenile Turf Sprint candidate, according to trainer Richard Hannon Jr.

The Foxes, David Probert in the irons, never was far off the lead but raced last of four in the Royal Lodge as Dubai Mile strolled along in front, barely getting out of a gallop. The race turned into a three-furlong sprint, and The Foxes, coming along the rail, narrowly was going best, getting home by a half-length over Dubai Mile. Finishing third, unable to adequately quicken, was Flying Honours, the 1-9 favorite on the North American tote. The Foxes, by Churchill, is trained by Andrew Balding.

Blackbeard was making his ninth start in the Middle Park but finished his campaign still going strong, winning well by two lengths over his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate, The Antarctic, who came steadily from the back of the field. Ryan Moore rode Blackbeard, a son of No Nay Never whom O’Brien believes will be a five- or six-furlong horse in 2023.

Lezoo also is unlikely to stay one mile, Beckett said, and so it would make sense to target the rich Juvenile Turf Sprint with the filly. By Zoustar, Lezoo was ridden Saturday by William Buick, who substituted for suspended Frankie Dettori.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.