Kimari to switch back to dirt for Prioress Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Two of trainer Wesley Ward’s runners from this summer at Royal Ascot have already come back to win their next start. He will look to continue that trend next Saturday when he returns Kimari to the dirt in the Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga.
Kimari, a 3-year-old daughter of Munnings, finished second in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on June 19 at Royal Ascot. She has been training on dirt at Keeneland and was scheduled to have another breeze Sunday before shipping to New York.
“She has no problems with dirt,” Ward said. “In fact, she may even be a touch better on dirt.”
:: Get DRF's Betting Strategies for Saratoga's weekend cards
Kimari is 2 for 2 on dirt, with a 15-length maiden victory at Keeneland in April 2019 and a victory over Frank’s Rockette in the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park this past April. Frank’s Rockette came back to win the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 4 at Belmont and is expected for the Prioress.
Meanwhile, Ward said that Golden Pal, who won the Skidmore Stakes on Aug. 21, has already returned to Keeneland where he will train up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Golden Pal was beaten a neck in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot before winning the Skidmore by 3 1/2 lengths while earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more
Ward said he’s confident Golden Pal doesn’t need another race between now and the Breeders’ Cup.
“He’ll be as good as I can have him,” Ward said. “With the good horses, I like to give them as much spacing as I can between races.”
Campanelle won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes on June 20 at Royal Ascot and then came back to win the Group 1 Prix Morny on Aug. 23 at Deauville. She is scheduled to return to the United States on Sept. 5 and will train up to the one-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 6, Ward said. Frankie Dettori rode Campanelle in both her overseas races, and Ward said Dettori told him she would have no trouble getting a mile.