Impeccably bred American Rascal heads to Ascot off impressive debut
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American Rascal was born to international royalty, as his sire and first two dams are champions. He’ll look to begin growing into that legacy when, off an impressive debut victory, he targets the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on June 22 at the Royal Ascot meeting.
Stonestreet Farm homebred American Rascal, by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, is the first foal out of Cartier Award European champion Lady Aurelia, herself a two-time winner at Royal Ascot. He will head to England as part of a strong contingent for trainer Wesley Ward, the most successful American trainer in the history of the royal meeting.
“To look at this horse, he’s all speed,” Ward said. “He looks like a running back – muscles on muscles, very compact. Just excited to see the next couple of works here [at Keeneland]. As long as all goes well, we’re heading to the Norfolk and we’re really excited about it.”
Ward’s raiding party is expected to include four Stonestreet runners. American Rascal will be joined by multiple stakes winners Twilight Gleaming and Love Reigns in the Group 1 King’s Stand and Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, respectively, and maiden winner Fandom in a yet to be determined spot.
Success at Royal Ascot, particularly with a homebred, would be yet another feather in the cap of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet, which is enjoying a stellar spring even by its own lofty standards. Stonestreet is one of eight partners in Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, who is scheduled to start in next weekend’s Belmont Stakes. On the undercard of that classic, Stonestreet’s representatives could include Clairiere, pointing to the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps off her latest Grade 1 victory in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.
Clairiere is by Curlin, who Stonestreet maintains a major interest in as a stallion at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm. Standing alongside Curlin is his champion son Good Magic, who Stonestreet co-campaigned. This spring, Good Magic was represented by Kentucky Derby winner Mage, the second consecutive son of Curlin to sire a Derby winner in his first crop.
Curlin’s other runners this year include Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Julia Shining, a full sister to two-time Eclipse Award champion Malathaat, who Stonestreet bred and sold. Both are out of Stonestreet’s homebred Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia, who in April was named Kentucky’s Broodmare of the Year. Julia Shining, who was excluded from the Kentucky Oaks on the point standings, is considered a candidate for this summer’s major Grade 1 races for fillies.
American Rascal’s dam, Lady Aurelia, by Scat Daddy, was bred by Stonestreet, which purchased her dam, D’Wildcat Speed, for $1 million at the 2005 Keeneland November sale. The mare was a Puerto Rican champion and later a Grade 2 winner in Florida. Lady Aurelia was purchased at the 2015 Keeneland September sale by Stonestreet partners George Bolton and Peter Leidel, and the breeder then bought back in.
Lady Aurelia won her debut at Keeneland, followed by a win in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, then the Group 1 Prix Morny in France. Despite finishing third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park in England, she was named Europe’s outstanding 2-year-old filly of 2016.
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The following spring, Lady Aurelia won the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland, then again headed to Royal Ascot, where she bested older males in the King’s Stand. She finished second by a nose in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes that summer, but then was 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. In an abbreviated 4-year-old campaign, Lady Aurelia was second in the Giant’s Causeway and seventh in the King’s Stand.
Stonestreet bought out its partners for $7.5 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale to secure Lady Aurelia for broodmare duty. The mare was barren when bred to Curlin in her first season, but with the same pairing successfully produced American Rascal in March 2021. American Rascal was a 10 1/4-length debut winner on April 20 at Keeneland, running 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.21 seconds, the fastest of the meet.
“I think he can be better next time,” Ward said.
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