Hootenanny scores for Ward in Windsor Castle Stakes

The 2-year-old colt Hootenanny gave American trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Victor Espinoza a successful start to the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday with an easy win in the Windsor Castle Stakes over five furlongs.

Hootenanny, the 7-2 favorite in a field of 25, won the $101,800 Windsor Castle Stakes on a straightaway course by 3 1/2 lengths over 100-1 Union Rose. Hootenanny, third in the Rollicking Stakes at Pimlico in May, was the first of six juvenile runners for Ward and Espinoza at Royal Ascot, which continues through Saturday.

Hootenanny, who races for Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and John Magnier, won the Windsor Castle by leading throughout.

The Windsor Castle was the final race on an action-packed six-race program at Royal Ascot that included three Group 1 races worth $636,225.

Toronado, the winner of the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse last July, won the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile as the 4-5 favorite, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of Verrazano, the winner of the Wood Memorial and Haskell Invitational in 2013, when trained by Todd Pletcher. Verrazano joined trainer Aidan O’Brien’s stable last winter.

Toronado races for Al Shaqab Racing and trainer Richard Hannon. The 4-year-old was second in the 2013 St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Kingman, the winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas last month, won Tuesday’s St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-old colts over a mile by 2 1/4 lengths over Night of Thunder, the winner of the English 2000 Guineas last month. Kingman was second in the English 2000 Guineas, but the rematch was not as dramatic.

Kingman closed from the back of a field of seven to win comfortably for Juddmonte Farms and trainer John Gosden.

In Tuesday’s top sprint race, Sole Power (5-1) won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes for the second consecutive year. Sole Power, a 7-year-old gelding, won the five-furlong race by 1 1/4 lengths over Stepper Point.