Hootenanny won’t be traveling alone to Royal Ascot

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Wesley Ward spent Tuesday morning preparing for excursions to Pimlico, Belmont, and Royal Ascot, putting some of his better turf horses through workouts on the Churchill Downs grass course.

Among those to breeze were Sunset Glow, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up, who went five furlongs around the dogs on a “good” turf course in a bullet 1:03.60; graded stakes-winning turf sprinter Shrinking Violet, who went the same distance in 1:05.20; 2013 Mrs. Revere winner Emotional Kitten, who went in 1:05.40; and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hootenanny, who went the slowest of Ward’s foursome with five-eighths in 1:05.60.

With the exception of Hootenanny, whose next race is likely to be at Royal Ascot, the others were prepping for stakes races this Saturday. Ward said Sunset Glow will go in the Wait a While Stakes at Belmont, and Shrinking Violet and Emotional Kitten will start in the The Very One Stakes and Gallorette on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico.

Hootenanny, pointing to the six-furlong Commonwealth during Royal Ascot, is likely to have some companionship for the journey to Britain. Ward said he also is considering Luck of the Kitten, Undrafted, Big Macher, and some 2-year-olds for his annual cross-Atlantic raid.

Big Macher, who just began training under Ward, is no stranger to overseas travel, having run a close fifth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March in Dubai when under the care of trainer Richard Baltas. He is unraced on turf, and Ward said he wants to evaluate Big Macher before deciding if a trip to Royal Ascot is prudent.

Ward said the key to success at Ascot this summer will be catching firm ground.

“If it rains, you might as well scratch and come back home,” he said. “Their horses there have been bred for hundreds of years to run on the wet going, but our horses just flounder.”

Although Ward hasn’t decided on the exact lineup of 2-year-olds to travel overseas, he seems keen to take Love the Kitten, a Kitten’s Joy filly who ran second at Keeneland on dirt in her only start April 8. She is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who relish foreign racing experiences with their horses.

One filly headed in a different direction for Ward is the champion female sprinter Judy the Beauty, who ran a close second in her seasonal bow in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on Derby Day.

The Grade 2 Princess Rooney on July 5 at Gulfstream Park is intriguing to Ward based on how she trained over that track in years past. Other considerations include the July 29 Honorable Miss and the Aug. 28 Ballerina, both at Saratoga.

The Princess Rooney and Ballerina are Win and You’re In Challenge races – offering fees-paid berths to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Delaunay works bullet

A couple of unplaced horses from the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Derby Day returned to the work tab Tuesday, with ninth-place finisher Umgiyo breezing five furlongs on dirt in 1:02 for trainer Mike de Kock and Chocolate Ride, eighth in the same race after a poor start, going a half-mile on grass in 51.60 seconds for trainer Brad Cox.

Cox also worked another of his stable stars, Oaklawn Handicap runner-up Carve, who went five furlongs in 1:00.60.

Trainer Tom Amoss sent out Delaunay for a breeze, going a half-mile in a bullet 48.40. And though Amoss didn’t rule out a title defense for Delaunay in the May 30 Aristides at Churchill, he said he and owner Maggi Moss would prefer not to run him against champion sprinter Work All Week, who is expected kick off his year in the Aristides.

The $75,000 Ed Skinner Memorial, at six furlongs at Prairie Meadows on May 23, might prove the more suitable race, Amoss said.

The other top sprinter from the Amoss barn, Heitai, is being pointed toward a defense of his title in the May 30 Evangeline Turf Sprint at five furlongs.