Lucci | Horse Racing Free Tips

Royal Ascot: Ward-Trained Pair Headline Thursday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Norfolk Stakes

Trainer Wesley Ward is seeking his third victory in the US$113,000 Norfolk Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds when he sends out U.S. maiden winners Lucci and Nakatomi in the 5-furlong race on Thursday at Royal Ascot. The winner of the Norfolk Stakes will gain an automatic berth into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Norfolk Stakes winner to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 furlongs at Del Mar. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 25 to receive the rewards.

The Norfolk Stakes is the third of four Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races to be conducted during the Royal Ascot meeting. The race will be televised live on NBCSN and TVG.

Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable, and Windmill Manor Farm's Lucci, a Kentucky-bred son of Not this Time, won a 5-furlong maiden special weight by 3 lengths over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park on May 9 under jockey John Velazquez, who has the mount again for the Norfolk.

Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and David Howden's chestnut Kentucky-bred gelding Nakatomi, by Firing Line, broke his maiden by 2 ¼ lengths over a sloppy track in a 4 ½-furlong race at Keeneland on April 14.

“At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together,” said Ward, who has 11 victories at Royal Ascot coming into the 2021 meeting. “Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”

Last year, the Ward-trained Golden Pal finished second by a neck in the Norfolk Stakes before going on to capture the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. Ward saddled Norfolk winners No Nay Never (2006) and Shang Shang Shang (2018).

Trainer Aidan O'Brien plans to start a son of No Nay Never in the Norfolk with Cadamosto (IRE), owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg. Cadamosto broke his maiden on April 10, winning the 5-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF maiden by 3 ½ lengths.

O'Brien has saddled three Norfolk Stakes winners in Johannesburg (2001), Waterloo Bridge (IRE) (2015), and Sioux Nation (2017).

Amo Racing Limited and Peter Waney's Go Bears Go (IRE) has a maiden victory over the Ascot course. Trained by David Loughnane, Go Bears Go, a son of Kodi Bear (IRE), won a 5-furlong Novice stakes at May 8 by 1 ½ lengths.

Another winner first time out is Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Instinctive Move (GB). A bay son of Showcasing (GB) out of Peach Melba (GB) by Dream Ahead, Instinctive Move earned a 2 ¼-length victory in a 5-furlong EFB maiden race at Bath on May 12.

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Ward Relishing Royal Ascot Return

NEWMARKET, UK–Since 2009, Wesley Ward has made Royal Ascot an annual pilgrimage, both for his horses and his family. The enduring and endearing repetition of that first visit is the presence of the now 14-year-old Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge), Ward's first of 11 Royal Ascot winners, who is now a much valued stable pony and has accompanied his team to Newmarket.

The trainer was in his customary relaxed mood on Wednesday morning at Newmarket's National Stud, where his team has been based on his visits to England over the last few years. Among the nine horses heading to the Berkshire track next week is another returning star, Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the winner of last year's G2 Queen Mary S. at Ascot who went on to win the G1 Darley Prix Morny in Deauville for Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables.

An intended runner in Friday's G1 Commonwealth Cup, in which she will be reunited with Frankie Dettori, Campanelle is one of two older horses in the raiding party along with Richard Ravin's Maven (American Pharoah). The lightly-raced 4-year-old will tackle the G1 King's Stand S. on the opening day of the meeting.

“When Maven ran in an allowance race at Keeneland in April, we felt he was a bit short fitness-wise,” Ward said on Wednesday morning. “On the day he bounced out in front and when they came to him, I thought he was going to surrender, but he just took off again. I was delighted and then once I saw the numbers, it inspired me to put him on the team for Royal Ascot. He will have to move forward from that again to be in the mix for the King's Stand Stakes, but I think he is entitled to do so.”

Maven is one of two American raiders on course for the King's Stand. The 8-year-old G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid), who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, arrived in Newmarket on Tuesday evening and is stabled across town at Abington Place. His trainer Brendan Walsh is very familiar with British racing's headquarters, having worked in Newmarket for several years for Mark Wallace.

The remaining Ward septet are all juveniles and it is in this sphere which the trainer notoriously excels. He appears to have a real soft spot for the statuesque Kaufymaker (Jimmy Creed), a homebred for Gregory Kaufman who was raised on Ward's own farm in Florida. Unusually, the chestnut filly will be taking on the colts in the G2 Coventry S. on Tuesday.

Ward said, “She won on the dirt at Keeneland and then when we worked her on the grass, she took to it like a duck to water. Of all the workers I have had on the grass coming into the meeting, she has risen to the top. That is why I am giving her the biggest assignment. The Coventry Stakes is a race I have been dying to have a real big chance in and I think she is going to give me it. She is the best I have and that is why I am putting her in here.”

He continued, “She has a big, long stride and I think it is a bit of an advantage at this time of the year to have a filly against the colts. If you look at all the times of the races over the years, especially in the States, the fillies are always faster. The same applies to the breeze-ups for the most part. It is like boys and girls in school—for whatever reason girls mature that little bit faster.”

Having tasted significant success last year, Stonestreet Stables has stuck to the formula of buying European-bred yearlings to aim at the meeting and three youngsters will bear Banke's colours at Ascot on Wednesday. Twilight Gleaming (Ire) will bid to give her first-season sire National Defense (GB) an important first Royal Ascot winner in the G2 Queen Mary S., while the filly Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}) will take on Napa Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})–the top-priced colt at last year's Goffs Orby Sale at £420,000–in the listed Windsor Castle S. John Velazquez is set to ride Ruthin and Dettori is booked for Napa Spirit.

“In regard to Twilight Gleaming and Ruthin, sometimes you have to readjust because of what you see from them in their workouts once they're over here.” Ward noted. “With both horses being owned by Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables, you have to go with what you see. To me, Twilight Gleaming might be a shade better, which is why she is going for the Queen Mary Stakes, and Ruthin will slot in for the Windsor Castle Stakes alongside Napa Spirit. We are going to use a figure-8 bridle and tongue tie on Ruthin, to help her get some more air, and I think that could make a big difference to her.”

Ruthin was exercised riderless on Wednesday morning alongside Strike The Tiger and Ollie Sangster, who gave the filly an easy jog on the Newmarket turf. Ward's preparation for her change of tack next week included having her wear the tongue tie and grakle noseband during the exercise.

Ruthin had Artos (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) six lengths behind her when the pair met on debut at Keeneland on April 22. The latter, who will be a first Royal Ascot runner for Rusty Arnold, arrived in Newmarket on Tuesday with Extravagant Kid and she will now face Twilight Gleaming in the Queen Mary.

Ward will also be double-handed in Thursday's G2 Norfolk S., in which Lucci (Not This Time) will take on Nakatomi (Firing Line). Oisin Murphy will ride the latter, with Velazquez renewing his acquaintance with first-time-out Belmont maiden winner Lucci.

The trainer said, “At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together. Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”

Joining Campanelle on the lorry from Newmarket to Ascot on Friday will be the G3 Albany S. contender Golden Bell (Macho Uno), who races for a partnership which includes Hat Creek Racing, former owners of the 2017 listed Sandringham H. winner Con Te Partiro (Scat Daddy), and Cheyenne Stable. Ward would be happy to see some rain fall at the track ahead of the penultimate day of the meeting.

“Golden Bell is actually one I wouldn't mind a bit of dig in the ground for, which is not something you would usually hear me say,” he commented. “The night before she worked at Keeneland, we had quite heavy rain, and she just flew through the ground. With her and Campanelle, I might have to do a little rain dance the night before.”

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Not This Time Colt Sharp in Belmont Debut Score

1st-Belmont, $83,700, Msw, 5-9, 2yo, 5fT, :56.92, fm, 3 lengths.

LUCCI (c, 2, Not This Time–Lucky'stormwarning, by Lookin At Lucky) showed a sharp Keeneland worktab for this unveiling, capped by a half-mile breeze in :47 3/5 (4/23) Apr. 28, and was made a fractional 5-4 favorite. Breaking sweetly from his rail draw, the $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy quickly scampered clear and showed the way through a modest :22.92 quarter. Pressured harder by Speak Unity (Union Rags) as the pace picked up past a :45.32 half, Lucci stiff-armed that rival outside the furlong grounds and finished strongly to score by three lengths. Speak Unity held the place over narrow second choice and stablemate to the winner Riot House (Violence). Lucci's dam, who captured her only career start, produced a filly by Brody's Cause last term before being bred to Dialed In. Sales History: $290,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable LLC & Windmill Manor Farm; B-Springhouse Farm & Ben McElroy (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.

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