OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Tom Morley said he started thinking about Royal Ascot for More Champagne the moment the hammer dropped confirming he had purchased the then-unnamed 2-year-old filly for $100,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March auction. Morley said the quiet part out loud to Jack Wolf, who along with his wife, Laurie, helped put together the racing partnership known as StarsLadies, part-owner of More Champagne. “Jack looked at me as if I lost my mind,” Morley said. Three months later, More Champagne is in England and Morley was scheduled to join her Saturday morning to finish preparing the daughter of Golden Pal for the Group 2 Queen Mary, the first race on Wednesday’s Ascot program. Morley said typically there are two ways things can go with a 2-year-old purchased out of the March sale. You can either go on with them or back off and wait for later in the year. It became readily apparent that Morley could go on with More Champagne. After a few breezes at Belmont, More Champagne shipped to Keeneland for her debut on April 24, when, facing only four rivals, she split horses at the quarter pole and went to win by 6 1/2 lengths. Shining Moment, the runner-up, came back to win her next start and is also expected to run in the Queen Mary for trainer Wesley Ward. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “The way she quickened, the way she went between horses, the way she shipped,” Morley said when asked what impressed him most about that race. “She’s just been a very professional horse ever since we got our hands on her. Kudos to the guys at Blue River Bloodstock who sold her to us. She came in a ready-made racehorse.” Morley is a native of England and attended the races at Ascot frequently before he came to the U.S. in 2010. In 2023, Morley ran Cynane in the Queen Mary and she finished 10th. Morley believes the softish-ground hampered Cynane. Getting a second opportunity to win a race at Ascot is a big deal for Morley. “Same as [Kentucky] Derby week or Breeders’ Cup, it’s one of the highlights of the year,” Morley said. “If you look at the program it says ‘Thomas Morley, USA,’ but it would be a little bit more special if we can win one at home.” John Velazquez rode More Champagne in her maiden victory and is going to ride her in England. Morley said he talked to Velazquez about his desire to run her in Ascot and be competitive. “I said I’ve been and been an also-ran, I don’t want to do that again,” Morley said. “He said, ‘We’re going and we’re going to have a big chance.’ ” Delightful Flame returns Last June, Delightful Flame came off an 11-month layoff and just got beat a nose at 19-1 in a starter allowance turf sprint at Aqueduct. Sunday, Delightful Flame returns from an eight-month freshening in a second-level turf sprint going six furlongs, which serves the feature on Aqueduct’s nine-race card. Delightful Flame finished second in a spot similar to this last Oct. 26 before getting her break as the turf season was just about wrapping up. Trainer David Duggan said Delightful Flame is training like she should be ready to give a good effort and she looks like the primary speed breaking from the rail under Katie Davis. “She’s been working respectably well. You’re always a little bit cautious because you’re starting a little deeper in the water this time,” Duggan said. “Last year, I had the benefit of a starter [condition]. The time seems to have done her good. She had some feet issues that we were dealing with, hoping that she’s all over that.” In August 2025, Griselda came off a nine-month layoff to win a first-level allowance going one mile at Saratoga. After two failed graded stakes attempts last fall going one mile and 1 1/8 miles, Griselda returns off an eight-month layoff in a six-furlong race. She won her maiden in France going six furlongs in 2024. “When we bought the horse, she was running shorter back home,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I started her out around two turns and I thought that was the way to go. But now that she’s off a long break, she’s fresh, she’s sharp, a nice three-quarter distance down at Aqueduct to get her started might help determine going forward if we’re going to keep her at one turn or two.” I’m Mo Joke finished third in this condition two starts back at Churchill Downs. Roja, the winner of that race, came back to win the Grade 2 Intercontinental at Saratoga, while Satin Blue, fourth in that allowance, came back to clear that allowance hurdle in her next out. – additional reporting by Mike Welsch :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.