Anna’s Fast and Nayibeth, a pair of debut 2-year-old winners last month, made morning history Sunday at Keeneland. The duo, aimed for races at England’s prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in June by trainer Wesley Ward, breezed a half-mile in company on the Keeneland turf course in 45.60 seconds, the fastest grass breeze over that distance there since at least 1996. A search of Daily Racing Form’s workout database, which dates back to spring 1996, revealed that before Sunday, the prior-best time had been 46.20, set by two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan in October 2011. As is customary, Sunday’s works on the Keeneland grass came around the “dogs,” cones placed outward from the inner rail to keep breezing horses from tearing up the inside portion of a course, though they did little to slow the workouts. Highly firm conditions led to quick times throughout Sunday morning. Nayibeth, who Ward said was slightly superior in the joint workout with Anna’s Fast, goes in Royal Ascot’s Group 3 Albany over six furlongs June 21, while Anna’s Fast is likely for the Group 2 Norfolk at five furlongs June 20. Both fillies have raced once, winning 4 1/2-furlong races at Keeneland, Nayibeth by 4 1/2 lengths in 51.54 seconds, Anna’s Fast by 6 1/2 lengths in 52.50. Nayibeth is a daughter of Carpe Diem. Anna’s Fast is by Fast Anna. Other Ward-trained 2-year-olds that prepped for Ascot with half-mile grass workouts Sunday included Maven (46.20), who outran Chili Petin (46.60) in an in-company move, and Kimari (47.40), who caught Ward’s eye for the easy manner of her workout. “Even though Kimari had a much slower time, there was a lot there,” he said. “She is a go for the Queen Mary,” a Group 2 at five furlongs at Ascot on June 19. A daughter of Munnings, Kimari was the quickest juvenile winner of the Keeneland spring meet when she zipped 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.02 in winning a maiden race by 16 lengths on April 25. Ward’s 2-year-olds will be joined at Ascot by the older horse Bound for Nowhere, who went five furlongs in 58.40 on Sunday, outfinishing The Mackem Bullet (58.80), who Ward has ticketed for either the Penn Mile or Penn Oaks at Penn National, both on June 1. A 5-year-old son of The Factor, Bound for Nowhere won the Grade 2 Shakertown last year at 4 before finishing third in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot over six furlongs. This year he was second in the Shakertown, caught in the closing strides by the Joe Orseno-trained Imprimis, another U.S. horse bound for Royal Ascot. Scratched from Friday’s Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico, Bound for Nowhere races in either the King’s Stand at five furlongs June 18 or the Diamond Jubilee on June 22. Weather permitting, Ward’s Ascot raiders will breeze again the next two weekends before flying overseas from Indianapolis on June 4, he said. Already in England for him is Lady Pauline, a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Lady Aurelia. Lady Pauline ran second in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Royal Ascot 2-year-old Trial on May 1 at Ascot after a first-out victory at Keeneland in April. ◗ Also breezing over the Keeneland turf course Sunday were graded winners Fancy Dress Party (five furlongs in 58.80) and Knicks Go (five furlongs in 1:01.80), though their next starts are likely to come on dirt, trainer Ben Colebrook said. Fancy Dress Party, 4 for 4 on dirt and winner of the Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland, goes in the Grade 1 Acorn on June 8 at Belmont, a race likely to attract the one-two finishers from the Kentucky Oaks, Serengeti Empress and Liora. Knicks Go, last year’s Breeders’ Futurity winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up, is being pointed to the Grade 3 Matt Winn on Stephen Foster night June 15 at Churchill Downs. “We need to get him in the best spot to win, get some confidence back,” said Colebrook of Knicks Go, who has gone unplaced in four starts since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The $600,000 Stephen Foster, downgraded to a Grade 2 for 2019, remains a Breeders’ Cup qualifying race for the Classic and is a target for Grade 1 winners Seeking the Soul and Yoshida. ◗ Three other Grade 1 winners – Marley’s Freedom, Midnight Bisou, and Mitole –breezed Monday at Churchill. Marley’s Freedom went a half-mile in 47.80 for trainer Bob Baffert, while Midnight Bisou and Mitole each breezed five furlongs for trainer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou in 1:02, and Mitole in 1:01.40. Midnight Bisou and Mitole are expected to race in New York on the June 8 Belmont Stakes card. Midnight Bisou is being pointed to the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, Mitole to the Grade 1 Met Mile. The locally based Promises Fufilled, third behind Mitole in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Derby Day, also was committed to the Met Mile last week by his trainer, Dale Romans. ◗ Thursday’s seventh race, an $87,000 first-level allowance at seven furlongs, does not have any such runners of immediate graded quality, though one of its 11 entrants, 3-1 morning-line favorite Graceful Princess, has a Grade 1 pedigree. By Tapit, Graceful Princess is a daughter of Havre de Grace, who won three Grade 1’s during a championship 2011 campaign, including the Woodward over older horses at Saratoga. Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm, who bought Havre de Grace for $10 million as a broodmare prospect, bred and owns Graceful Princess. She won her maiden at Saratoga last summer as a juvenile for trainer Ralph Nicks before running second and third in a couple of allowance races at Gulfstream this year at 3. As fate would have it, to win Thursday she must outrun 7-2 second favorite Whoa Nellie, a filly owned by the man that raced Havre de Grace – Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farms.