Norfolk stakes | 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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NBC Sports To Present Daily Live Coverage Of Royal Ascot Meeting

NBC Sports presents daily live coverage of the Royal Meeting in Ascot, England, beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, June 15, at 8:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Daily telecasts of the full five-day Royal Meeting will air on NBCSN through Friday, June 18, and conclude this Saturday, June 19 on NBC (9 a.m. ET) and CNBC (11 a.m. ET).

In total, NBC Sports will present nearly 25 hours of coverage over the five days.

Royal Ascot is Britain's most valuable race meeting and features more than 30 races, including eight at the world championship “Group One” level. Highlighting this year's American contingent are Extravagant Kid and Maven, a son of Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah, who are both expected to run in tomorrow's G1 King's Stand Stakes.

Throughout the week, coverage of The Royal Meeting features four live “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series – Win and You're In” races: The Queen Anne Stakes (Tues., June 15), Prince of Wales's Stakes (Wed., June 16), The Norfolk Stakes (Thurs., June 17), and The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Sat., Jun 19).

The Royal Meeting is the center of the British social season and a pivotal week in the calendar of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II has attended Royal Ascot every year since 1945, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NBC Sports' Nick Luck will host Saturday's coverage.

Following is NBC Sports' schedule for the Royal Ascot this week:

Date Time (ET) Network
Tues., June 15 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Wed., June 16 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Thurs., June 17 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Fri., June 18 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Sat., June 19 9 a.m. NBC
Sat., June 19 11 a.m. CNBC

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Royal Ascot Winner The Lir Jet To Step Up In Trip, Give Michael Bell First Breeders’ Cup Runner

Winner of the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, The Lir Jet will be aimed at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 6, reports the Racing Post. The 2-year-old son of Prince of Lir has only competed over six furlongs this year, but trainer Michael Bell announced that connections plan to run him over the 1 1/16-mile trip at Keeneland due to his strong finish when fifth last out in the G1 Middle Park Stakes.

It will be Bell's first Breeders' Cup runner.

“In all his races his last furlong has been his best, which suggests he's worth a try over further,” Bell told racingpost.com. “His pedigree doesn't say he will definitely stay, but his style of racing suggests he might, especially going around a two-turn mile like they have at Keeneland.”

Owned by Qatar Racing Ltd., The Lir Jet is out of the Green Desert mare Paper Dreams. He was a $9,775 yearling at Goffs, and owns a record of two wins and two seconds from five starts for earnings of $116,914. Other top finishes this year include a second in the G2 Prix Robert Patin at Chantilly and a second in the G1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

Golden Pal To Target Breeders’ Cup After Easy Skidmore Victory

Ranlo Investments' Golden Pal surged to the front and drew away in the stretch, posting an impressive 3 ½-length score in a gate-to-wire victory in Friday's $85,000 Skidmore for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course.

After a runner-up effort by a neck in his turf debut last out in the Group 2 Norfolk on June 19 at England's Royal Ascot, Golden Pal shipped back to the United States and entered the sixth running of the Skidmore off three strong breezes at Saratoga. That momentum carried over into the afternoon, where Golden Pal broke sharp from the outermost post 6 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, leading the field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.99 seconds and the half in 44.37 on the Mellon turf course labeled firm.

Out of the turn, Golden Pal opened up even more while never seriously challenged, completing 5 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:00.88 [challenging the track record of 1:00.21 set by Carotari in August 2019].

“He's a really cool horse,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “It's special when you get on horses like that. I'm so happy to be able to get on him. Hopefully he stays sound and healthy and he can keep doing what he did today.”

Golden Pal, the 2-5 favorite, returned $2.90 on a $2 win wager and improved his career earnings to $73,056. Trainer Wesley Ward said the effort could set up the Uncle Mo colt for a spot in the Grade 2, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint going 5 ½ furlongs on November 6 at Keeneland, where Ward is primarily stabled.

“He's something special, this guy. I think we just got a little peek at it,” Ward said. “From everything we've seen here, they're coming into his homecourt like Michael Jordan in the United Center in the Breeders' Cup this year. He's a very, very nice colt. I'm very thankful for the owner.

Bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe, who operates under the nom de course Ranlo Investments, Golden Pal made his career debut on April 17 over Gulfstream Park's main track, running second to Gatsby before traveling to the prestigious Royal Ascot meet two months later, where he led the field before The Lir Jet won in the final jumps. He is out of 11-time stakes-winning turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who was also bred and campaigned by Lowe.

“[The owner] afforded me the time that myself and my team has needed, and this horse had some issues and my team has really worked hard on this guy,” Ward said. “He's so fast and he's so gifted. To get him to this point is special.”

Ward trained the exacta, with Fauci finishing four lengths clear of Sky's Not Falling for second. Sunny Isles Beach, also trained by Ward, ran fourth, followed by Kentucky Knight and Baytown Bear.

“My horse broke good but the other horse [Golden Pal] had more speed, so I wasn't going to go up there and battle head and head,” said Fauci jockey Tyler Gaffalione. “He settled nicely and put in a nice run down the lane, but the other horse was much the best today.

“He's [Golden Pal] pretty quick. He's a nice horse,” Gaffalione added. “I rode him in his first start and he's a really fast horse, but it seems like he's starting to get the mental side of it now.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that includes the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave for 3-years-old and up going one mile on the inner turf in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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