Star Empire romps in debut to earn trip to Royal Ascot

As had been hoped for more than a year, the 2-year-old colt Star Empire ran his way to a start at Royal Ascot when he won his debut in Thursday’s first race at Belmont Park by 6 1/2 lengths.

Wesley Ward trains Star Empire for owner Belinda Bateman of Australia, and Star Empire is penciled in for a start in the Coventry Stakes next month at Ascot.

Star Empire pressed the pace two wide, took over with more than a quarter-mile to run, and wasn’t threatened to the finish, his five-furlong time of 58.44 seconds producing a 61 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s always shown tremendous ability,” Ward said. “He’s always been intended for England.”

There’s a backstory to Star Empire. He is British-bred but is from the first crop of the Australian sire Foxwedge. Ward got a call more than a year ago from Bateman’s agent saying there were three Foxwedge colts purchased as weanlings whom Bateman wanted to try to get to Ascot. Was Ward interested in training them?

“I said, ‘Absolutely,’ and asked when he wanted to send them. He said, ‘Now,’ and I said, ‘Now? You don’t have to send them right away. They’re 5 months old!’ But that’s what they wanted to do, so they were raised with all my other weanlings in Florida,” Ward said.

Star Empire is the first of the Foxwedges to make the races, and despite his turf pedigree, Ward said he was confident Star Empire would handle dirt.

“Actually, the question is how he’ll do on the grass,” Ward said. “His works in Florida on the grass were okay, but he’s a big colt, and I didn’t do that much with him down there, so it remains to be seen if he’s as good on turf.”

Ward will have quite a few horses for his annual raid on the Royal Ascot meet, which spans June 14-18. Create a Dream already won a race in England and will start in the Albany Stakes. Lady Aurelia, who impressed in her Keeneland debut, races in the Queen Mary, and Ward said he’ll have multiple starters in the Windsor Castle, though the entire trip, as usual, depends on weather.

“If it rains and you get soft turf, that’s not good for us at all,” he said. “But I’m hopeful I’m going to have another good showing there.”

Sunday feature may be shifted to main track

The highest-class fare on a nine-race Sunday card that, given the local forecast, could easily be off turf, is race 8, a first-level allowance for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the inner grass course.

Trainer Chad Brown, of course, has an entrant, Stella Street, an Irish import who was fifth and fourth at Belmont last year before going to the sidelines. Dea has been knocking on the door at this allowance condition in her last several races, and Sky Painter, before a year-plus layoff that ends Sunday, at least was a capable sort.

If rained onto dirt, the race could fall to I’ll Take Charge.