The two American hopefuls at Royal Ascot on Tuesday have drawn ideally in their respective races.

Noble's Promise, who will be saddled by Ken McPeek and ridden by Kieren Fallon in the one-mile, Group 1 St. James's Palace Stakes, drew the rail in a nine-runner field of 3-year-olds that includes 2000 Guineas winner Makfi and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Canford Cliffs. The race will be run on the old Ascot mile, the first five furlongs of which are all uphill before a right-handed, 90-degree turn into the 2 1/2-furlong stretch.

Sarafina remained undefeated as she led a one-two in finish for her stable in the $971,000 Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday, giving her owner, the Aga Khan, and trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre their sixth tandem victory in the classic French Oaks.

Sarafina and Deluxe renew their budding rivalry at Chantilly on Sunday in the Group 1, $970,000 Prix de Diane. At 1 5/16 miles, the French Oaks has produced numerous classy winners, among them in recent years Zarkava and Divine Proportions. Either Sarafina or Deluxe would be a worthy addition to the Oaks roll of honor, and they both have the pedigree to prove it despite being very lightly raced.

Inspired by the history-making exploits of Wesley Ward at Royal Ascot last year, two American horses will line up on opening day of the Royal Meeting on Tuesday in the hope that lightning can strike again. Ken McPeek will saddle Noble's Promise in the Group 1, $367,000 St. James's Palace Stakes, and Ward is back with Metropolitan Man in the listed $73,000 Windsor Castle Stakes.

Royal Ascot starts with a bang on Tuesday with a scintillating renewal of the Group 1, $367,000 Queen Anne Stakes. A straight mile for older horses, it has attracted dual Breeders' Cup Mile winner Goldikova, defending champ Paco Boy, two-time Group 1 mile winner Rip Van Winkle, and Dalghar, a late-blooming colt who set a track record at Longchamp last week.

The French 2-year-old season got under way in earnest at Maisons-Laffitte on Thursday as won the listed, $66,000 Prix La Fleche. In keeping with the normal precocity of French fillies at this time of year, it was the sixth time in the last 10 years that a member of her sex had won the 5 1/2-furlong dash. A French-bred daughter of Statue of Liberty and Miss America, she will appropriately make her next start on the fourth of July back at Maisons-Laffitte in the Group 3 Prix du Bois.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. − The $1.2 million in prize money is safely tucked away, at least the portion that has not been spent in celebration since late March, when Kinsale King traveled from California to Dubai to win the $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint.

That doesn't mean the party has stopped for owner Patrick Sheehy and trainer Carl O'Callaghan. All they have done is shift the event to a new venue. Earlier this week, Kinsale King was back on an airplane for another international destination, this time England for the Group 1 Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot next Saturday, June 19.

Americans at Royal Ascot will be well represented Tuesday when Wesley Ward and Ken McPeek have horses running on opening day of the Royal Meeting, which will be kick started by a glittering renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes.

Distorted Humor is certainly the stallion of the moment. Just two days after his 3-year-old son Drosselmeyer landed the Belmont Stakes, Radharcnafarraige, an Irish-bred 2-year-old daughter of the Kentucky-based WinStar Farm sire won the $120,000, Group 3 Coolmore Stud Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas on Monday, thus earning herself a place in the Albany Stakes lineup at Royal Ascot next week.

Lope de Vega proved a carbon copy of his sire, Shamardal, at Chantilly on Sunday as he followed up on his victory in the French 2000 Guineas with an impressive triumph in the $1.8 million Prix du Jockey-Club, or French Derby.

Breaking wide from post 20 in the overflow field of 23, he was busted out of the gate by Maxime Guyon to track the fast early pace of longshot rabbit Vivre Libre, led a half-mile form home, went quickly clear, and was eased down near the line to defeat the 4.80-1 second choice, Prix de Noailles winner Planteur, by three lengths.