Royal Ascot 2022: Nine American horses set to invade for meet

Nine American-based horses, including five for Wesley Ward, are set to travel to England this week for races at the Royal Ascot meeting, which runs from June 14 through June 18.

Ward has cut down on the number of horses he’s sending to Royal Ascot this year, but at least four of his runners should have excellent chances in their respective races.

“The more darts you throw the better chance you have to hit. But then it’s also a long ride home and big expense when it doesn’t work out. I decided to center in on the ones I thought had the best chance,” Ward said.

Golden Pal, one of the best horses in North America, leads Ward’s group and runs in Tuesday’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes over a straight five furlongs. Wednesday, 2-year-old filly Love Reigns could be favored in the Queen Mary Stakes, while 2-year-old Seismic Spirit runs in the Windsor Castle Stakes. On Friday, Ruthin will be asked to carry 135 pounds in the listed Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes. And in Saturday’s six-furlong, straight-course Platinum Jubilee, Ward runs Campanelle.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides all Ward’s runners, and the quintet had their final workouts Sunday at Keeneland. The horses fly via FedEx early Wednesday morning, departing from Indianapolis and arriving at Stanstead Airport. This year, in a change, Ward will stable the group at Chelmsford Racecourse before shipping into Ascot on Sunday.

:: Royal Ascot: Get PPs, previews, analysis, recaps and more

“I was looking for a spot close to the airport to cut down on shipping time,” Ward said of the decision to go into Chelmsford.

Trainer Christophe Clement on Monday confirmed he’ll have two Ascot runners – Pizza Bianca goes in the Coronation Stakes, a one-turn mile for 3-year-old fillies, and Slipstream runs the same day in the straight-course, six-furlong Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds. Joel Rosario rides both horses.

The exciting 3-year-old filly Spendarella, unbeaten after three races and based at Fair Hill with trainer Graham Motion, also goes in the Coronation, which is coming up a very hot race this year. The Americans face Homeless Songs, excellent winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas; Cachet, who won the 1000 Guineas in England; and Inspiral, who was the winter-book 1000 Guineas favorite but will be making her 2022 debut at Royal Ascot. Jose Ortiz rides Spendarella.

Also slated to travel is the Rusty Arnold-trained 2-year-old Late September, who runs Tuesday in the Coventry Stakes. Irish jockey Colin Keane is expected to ride Late September.

Golden Pal has gone 6 for 6 in American turf races but lost his two starts in England, finishing second as a 2-year-old in the Norfolk and seventh last summer at York in the Group 1 Nunthorpe. Ward still doesn’t believe Golden Pal is inherently unsuited to racing over a straight course.

“This horse would run up a steep hill in China if he had to,” he said.

Love Reigns and Golden Pal are early fixed-odds favorites for their races. Campanelle is second favorite for the Platinum Jubilee, and her work over the weekend, done in company with Kimari, especially impressed her trainer.