Lady Aurelia targets King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot

The globe-trotting Lady Aurelia is dusting off her passport.

Last year's Cartier Award winner as Europe's outstanding 2-year-old filly, Lady Aurelia is targeting a return engagement at England's renowned Royal Ascot meeting in June, with her goal being the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes. Trainer Wesley Ward intends for the filly to prep in the Giant's Causeway Stakes on April 15 at Keeneland.

To that end, Lady Aurelia breezed Sunday morning on the Keeneland turf, finishing ahead of workmate Bound for Nowhere, a debut winner at Turfway Park, through five furlongs in 1:00.20. It was her first local work of the spring; she spent the winter at breeder and co-owner Stonestreet Farm's training center in Florida, and, after returning to Kentucky, worked at Turfway several times, where Ward is fond of working horses over the Polytrack surface.

"Beautiful, beautiful work," Ward said. "Speed to spare."

Lady Aurelia was a dominant winner of her debut last April at Keeneland, romping by 7 1/2 lengths in an early-season maiden special weight. She then took her show on the road, winning the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot and the prestigious Group 1 Prix Morny in France. She finished third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park, but had done enough to lock up a championship.

Stonestreet principal Barbara Banke, on hand for the work, indicated a desire to continue campaigning prominent horses internationally. In addition to Lady Aurelia's outstanding run in Europe, Stonestreet has also been active in Australian racing and sales in recent years, with runners including Group 1 winner Miracles of Life.

"I think it's important to show the breadth and the speed of the American bloodstock and make people want to come over here and buy our yearlings," Banke said.

Banke also provided a brief update on Stonestreet's Valadorna, who was knocked out of Keeneland's upcoming Ashland Stakes - as well as the Kentucky Oaks - after emerging from a breeze yesterday morning with an incomplete condylar fracture in her left hind leg. The filly underwent successful repair surgery yesterday at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, and is scheduled to ship to Stonestreet tomorrow to continue her recovery.