Albany Under Consideration For Hermana Estrella

Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. victress Hermana Estrella (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) is being aimed at a start in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot on June 18. The filly, a 50-1 longshot at Naas, was making her first start and has come out of the race well.

“She'd been working well at home,” said trainer Fozzy Stack. “She hasn't been away to work or anything and hasn't even worked on grass, so it was actually a very good performance.

“She'd shown plenty of talent at home. If it hadn't worked out we'd have been left with egg on our face if she'd run very green, but it worked out well. She's a smart filly.”

“Royal Ascot would be a possibility, or maybe the race on Derby weekend here,” Stack added. “It will be the Albany or that race, I'd imagine. We'll take our time and talk to connections and see what everybody wants to do.

“She gets six furlongs well, so the soft ground in Naas might have helped on that front, but I don't think she needs it soft. I'd like to think she could step up in trip for something like the [G1] Moyglare [Stud S.] later in the season.”

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Master of the Seas to Miss Royal Ascot With Injury

Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a close second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas earlier this month has sustained a setback in training and will miss Royal Ascot in June, Godolphin announced on Monday. A winner of the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket in April, and the G2 Superlative S. at two, the Charlie Appleby trainee had been pointed at the G1 St James's Palace S.

“2000 Guineas runner up Master Of The Seas unfortunately had a setback after training on Saturday and will now be on the easy list for two to four weeks, meaning he will miss Royal Ascot,” Godolphin tweeted on Monday morning.

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Wesley Ward Celebrates ‘Humbling’ Milestone Of 2,000 Career Wins

Trainer Wesley Ward, 53, recorded his 2,000th-career win Thursday night at Churchill Downs when Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Gold for Kitten rallied for a rail-skimming victory in Race 6 under jockey Chris Landeros.

“I was actually moving a bunch of mares and foals from one place to another at my farm in Lexington when it happened,” Ward told the Daily Racing Form. “It's a great accomplishment, very humbling.”

Ward was born into a racing family, according to the Keeneland media guide. His father, Dennis, is a former jockey who is now a trainer and occasionally saddles horses for his son. His grandfather, Jim Dailey, was a steeplechase rider and later a popular outrider in New York for 29 years.

Ward began riding at age 12, competing at fairs in Washington, Alberta, British Columbia and Montana. On the day he turned 16, the junior in high school began riding at Aqueduct with Lenny Goodman as his agent. Goodman, a friend of Jim Dailey's, previously handled the books of Steve Cauthen and Declan Murphy. Though he didn't win any races that day, Ward won five in the next three days.

Recipient of the 1984 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice, Ward later rode in Italy, Singapore and Malaysia. He retired in 1989, tired of battling weight. He began training in 1991.

Ward became the first American trainer to saddle a winner at Royal Ascot in 2009 when Strike the Tiger won the Windsor Castle at odds of 33-1. The next day, he sent out Jealous Again to win the Queen Mary (G2).

In total, Ward has sent out 11 winners at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting: 2013 Norfolk (G2) with No Nay Never; 2014 Windsor Castle with Hootenanny; 2015 Diamond Jubilee (G1) with Undrafted and Queen Mary (G2) with Acapulco; 2016 Queen Mary (G2) with Lady Aurelia; 2017 King's Stand (G1) with Lady Aurelia and Sandringham (L) with Con Te Partiro; 2018 Norfolk (G2) with Shang Shang Shang; and 2020 Queen Mary with Campanelle.

His training resume also includes four Breeders' Cup victories: 2014 Juveneile Turf with Hootenanny; 2014 Filly & Mare Turf with Judy the Beauty; 2019 Juvenile Turf Sprint with Four Wheel Drive; and 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint with Golden Pal.

In 2021, Ward saddled his first Kentucky Derby starter with Like the King, who finished 12th.

Ward's 2,000 North American wins include 50 graded stakes victories and purse earnings of more than $71.8 million.

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Appleby’s Classic Colts Exit Guineas in Good Order

The Godolphin G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas team has excited the Newmarket showpiece in good order according to trainer Charlie Appleby. Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran second in the Guineas, is being freshening before returning in the June 15 G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot. Fourth-place finisher Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is also expected to be in action at the Royal meeting, although in the G3 Jersey S. on June 19. Rounding out the Appleby Guineas trio is One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran sixth and is eyeing several targets.

“They've all come out of their races well,” said Appleby. “The whole team look good–they all had an easy canter this [Tuesday] morning, and everybody is very happy with them.

“It was a great weekend for racing, and we were delighted with the way all ours ran. We had a touch of seconditis–but as I always say to the team, I'd rather finish second than second-last.

“We know the horses are in the right races and they're in good condition–and if we keep knocking on the door those doors will open.”

He added on his colts' next targets, “Master Of The Seas has had three runs this years now, so he deserves to have a little break. Hopefully we'll turn up at Ascot with some fresh legs. We'll look forward to potentially having a rematch with the winner in the St James's Palace.

“Naval Crown has got a couple of options, and I would say most likely we will look towards the Jersey with him. He's got plenty of boot, but to be fair, two of his best runs have been over the mile–beating Master Of The Seas at Meydan, and in the Guineas. He's got two solid mile performances behind him now, but it does look the most logical option for him to head to the Jersey.”

“Everyone is testing their [Derby] credentials over the next week, with the races at Chester followed by Lingfield at the weekend and then on to York next week,” said Appleby of the Chester-bound pair of Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB})at Lingfield and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who is returning in the G2 Dante S. at York.

“One Ruler is in the mix, for sure. The way he's bounced out of the Guineas, I'm very pleased with him. It's always hard to say where your horse is going to go immediately after the race, until you start to see how they've come out of it.

“The signs with all of them have been very good, so conversations will be had during the course of the week, firming up some plans for these horses.”

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