Ward will lead U.S. invasion of Royal Ascot

The 2018 Royal Ascot meeting begins June 19, and 14 American-bases horses, led by 10 from the Wesley Ward barn, are set to make the trip.

In addition to the 10 Ward-trained runners, Yoshida runs in the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of the meeting; Bucchero in the King’s Stand, also on opening day; and Beckford and Gidu in the Commonwealth Cup, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds. All of the races are Group 1.

Yoshida was an impressive winner of the Group 1 Old Forester Turf Classic on Derby Day at Churchill Downs in his 4-year-old debut, and like when Tepin won the Queen Anne in 2016, Yoshida appears to be meeting a below-par group of European milers. Yoshida on Saturday worked a half-mile over the dirt training track at Saratoga in 50 seconds.

“He worked very well,” said trainer Bill Mott. “He did it on his own.”

Beckford was trained in England last year at 2 but was transferred to American trainer Brendan Walsh for his 3-year-old season and won the William Walker Stakes at Churchill on April 28 in his 2018 bow. Gidu, a Frankel colt trained by Todd Pletcher, never has been worse than second in five starts and comes off a victory in the May 26 Paradise Creek Stakes at Belmont. The older horse Bucchero was third in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill and a close fourth in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Among Bucchero’s foes in the five-furlong, straight-course King’s Stand will be Lady Aurelia, who has lost all three starts since winning the 2017 King’s Stand by three lengths. In 2016, as a 2-year-old, Lady Aurelia was breathtaking winning the Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot by seven lengths.

Ward on Saturday at Keeneland worked all 10 of his England-bound horses, with Lady Aurelia going five furlongs (around the dogs) on turf in 1:03.40. Ward’s other older runners are Hemp Hemp Hurray, who runs in the Jersey Stakes; Bound For Nowhere, who goes in the Diamond Jubilee; Master Merion for the Royal Hunt Cup; and Undrafted, who is slated for the Wokingham Stakes.

Among the 2-year-olds, Ward seems especially enthused about Chelsea Cloisters, who could become his third Queen Mary winner.

“Like with Lady Aurelia, she checked off a box when she worked well a couple times on soft turf, so we don’t have that to worry about that,” Ward said.

Stillwater Cove, described by Ward as “a big Quality Road filly with a Euro grass pedigree on her bottom side, and a big, long stride,” runs in the Albany Stakes.

Shang Shang Shang, a Shanghai Bobby filly, faces males in the Norfolk Stakes over five furlongs. Ward said she could be compromised by a wet course.

All three of those fillies won debut races on dirt at Keeneland. Chelsea Cloisters was both the fastest and most impressive, winning April 19 by more than eight lengths.

Two more Ascot-bound fillies, Our Passion and Moonlight Romance, exit Belmont turf-sprint wins. Our Passion is pointed toward the Windsor Castle, while it hasn’t been determined in which race Moonlight Romance starts.

Ward said his horses will work again next weekend at Keeneland before shipping overseas. All 14 American runners travel June 11. Ward’s horses are to ship into the Whatcombe Estate stables of trainer Paul Cole, about a half-hour from Ascot.

“We’ll give them a day to walk, then a few days over the gallops before going to Ascot on Sunday [June 17],” Ward said.