Ward plotting return to Europe

The eight American horses who raced at Royal Ascot are headed home this week, but two of them are likely to return to Europe later this summer.

Campanelle, the Wesley Ward-trained 2-year-old filly who won the Queen Mary Stakes on Saturday, is an intended runner Aug. 23 at Deauville in the Group 1 Prix Morny. The Ward-trained Lady Aurelia completed the Queen Mary-Morny double in 2016.

Ward confirmed Monday afternoon that he’s pointing 2-year-old colt Golden Pal to the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Aug. 24 at York. The five-furlong Nunthorpe is open to horses aged 2 and up, with 2-year-olds like Golden Pal getting 25 pounds from older male rivals. Golden Pal looked like he was on the way to a win in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on June 19 before getting tagged on the wire by The Lir Jet. Ward said he thought his horse would’ve won the race had jockey Andrea Atzeni waited “three or four seconds more” to ask Golden Pal for his best. Ward has finished second twice in the Nunthorpe, with Lady Aurelia and Acapulco.

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Ward’s horses ship back to the U.S. on Wednesday, flying to Arlington for a brief quarantine before moving back into Ward’s barn.

Ward got nothing going with his runners Wednesday before Golden Pal and Kimari both finished second on the Friday card. Kimari was beaten by Golden Horde in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup but finished well in front of everyone else in the straight six-furlong race, which was contested on good-to-soft ground. To Ward, it wasn’t the course condition so much as Kimari’s poor start that cost her a Commonwealth win.

“The thing that really got us was her habit of breaking slow,” Ward said. “You don’t want to take her to the gate too much, because that can jar them in behind. I’m just kind of hoping that gets it.”

Ward reiterated that at this early date he’s aiming Kimari toward the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland, provided she continues to develop through the summer and fall. The Test at Saratoga and the Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar are the two most likely spots for Kimari’s next race, and Ward suggested seven furlongs, the Test distance, was slightly farther than Kimari’s best distance. The Rancho Bernardo is contested at 6 ½ furlongs.

Del Mar could also be the next stop for Sharing, the Graham Motion-trained filly who finished a commendable second on Saturday in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes. Sharing closed steadily on the outside, and while no match for the winner, Alpine Magic, beat several talented 3-year-old fillies over a good-to-soft course she probably didn’t love.

Sharing flies back to America on Tuesday night, Motion said. Sharing won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita last fall and Motion said he’d probably aim the filly toward the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 22.