Gulfstream Park's 'Road to Royal Ascot Royal Palm Series' became an instant success the very second Crimson Advocate crossed the finish line first by a nose at Ascot Racecourse in the Queen Mary (G2) June 21.
Just five weeks earlier, the George Weaver-trained 2-year-old daughter of Nyquist had captured the Gulfstream's $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies that offered the winner a fees-paid berth into one of six juvenile stakes during the Royal Ascot meeting as well as a travel stipend.
While Weaver-trained No Nay Mets, the 3½-length winner of the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Royal Ascot qualifier, didn't fare nearly as well the next day in the Norfolk (G2), but Gulfstream's mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds has succeeded in producing a couple of promising next-out winners.
Reaper, an Arindel homebred who failed to live up to his dazzling debut on dirt while trying turf for the first time in the Royal Palm Juvenile, came back with a gutsy triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile over Prairie Meadows main track. The Florida-bred son of Brethren pressed the pace between horses along the backstretch and into the stretch before fighting back to prevail by a neck in the 5 ½-furlong sprint.
Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and Harlow Stables LLC's Mattingly, who debuted with a promising second behind No Nay Mets in the Royal Palm Juvenile, came right back to graduate in his next start on Tapeta at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred son of Bucchero scored a front-running 5¾-length victory at 5 ½ furlongs June 24.
The post Reaper Among Gulfstream’s ‘Road To Royal Ascot Series’ Alumni To Continue To Excel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
