Recoletos, Laurens win tuneups for June races

Recoletos and Laurens won Group 1 races as odds-on favorites at Paris Longchamp Racecourse in France on Sunday in advance of scheduled start in even more prestigious races in June.

Recoletos, third in the Group 1 French Derby in 2017, won at the highest level for the first time in the $291,500 Prix d’Ispahan for older horses at 1 3/16 miles on turf. Recoletos is expected to start in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, a one-mile turf race worth approximately $800,000 at Royal Ascot in England on June 19.

Laurens won the $291,500 Prix Saint-Alary for 3-year-old fillies in a prep for the Group 1 French Oaks at Chantilly on June 17. The $1.16 million French Oaks is run at 1 5/16 miles on turf.

Recoletos (4-5) closed from last in a field of six under jockey Olivier Peslier to win the Prix d’Ispahan by 1 3/4 lengths over 11-2 Almodovar. Trais Fluors, a 6-1 chance, finished third, beaten 3 3/4 lengths.

Recoletos, a 4-year-old colt by the Miesque’s Son stallion Whipper, has won four stakes for owner Sarl Darpat France and trainer Carlos Laffon-Parais. On May 1, Recoletos won his first start of 2018 in the Group 2 Prix du Muguet at a mile on turf at Saint Cloud.

Laurens (7-10) was fully extended to win the Prix Saint-Alary at 1 1/4 miles on turf, holding off a late threat from With You to win by a short head. The Prix Saint-Alary was the second Group 1 win for Laurens, who won at that level in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket last October. Laurens was second in the Group 1 English 1,000 Guineas on May 6.

On Sunday, Laurens was ridden by P.J. McDonald, who had the filly on the lead a few strides after the start. Laurens had a comfortable lead in the first half of the race, but faced a stern challenge in the final furlong and may have briefly lost the lead to eventual third-place finisher Soustraction before securing the win.

With You, a 3-1 chance making her first start of 2018, finished two lengths in front of 8-1 Soustraction.

Laurens, a French-bred by the Pivotal stallion Siyouni, races for John Dance and trainer Karl Burke, who is based in England.