Outfielder targets Commonwealth at Royal Ascot
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Outfielder is penciled in to join trainer Wesley Ward’s annual raiding party at the renowned Royal Ascot meeting in June in England after a dominant win in the Animal Kingdom for 3-year-old sprinters on Saturday at Turfway.
Ward, who co-owns the colt with Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing and former baseball player Jayson Werth, said he will target the Group 1 Commonwealth for sophomores on June 19.
“He’s really coming into his own,” Ward said. “I think he’s gonna have a big year. Kia, he’s all about Royal Ascot, and I’d like to get Jayson there.”
Outfielder won his debut sprinting on the Churchill turf last May. He then made a trip overseas to finish a creditable fourth, beaten less than three lengths, in the Group 1 Prix Morny in August in France. The victorious Venetian Sun took her third group stakes of the season in that race, while runner-up Gstaad would be heard from again.
“We jumped into the deep end of that pool,” Ward said. “Usually, when I try them in that race, I like to have a couple starts.”
Outfielder returned to win a dirt sprint allowance at the Keeneland fall meet, then stretched out to a mile for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He set a fast pace before fading to last behind Gstaad, who earned a Cartier Award as a European champion.
Outfielder cut back for the Animal Kingdom and flashed his speed, setting splits of 21.46 seconds and 44.59 and still having more left in the lane, pulling clear by 4 1/2 lengths.
Ward entered but scratched another speedy 3-year-old, Longshoreman, in the Animal Kingdom. That colt has not been seen since setting a blistering pace before finishing second in the Grade 3 Futurity last fall in New York. Ward said Longshoreman is now targeting the Palisades on April 19 at Keeneland.
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