International Cast Eye Royal Meeting

Entries from nine countries appear on course for the eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot, headlined by the world's three highest-rated sprinters: Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) (Australia, 124), Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) (USA, 121) and Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) (Australia, 120). The Australian pair–who may face Golden Pal in the G1 King's Stand S. or contest the G1 Platinum Jubilee S.–are joined by fellow Australian invader Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) (Anthony & Sam Freedman), set to run on the final day of the meeting.

Last year's G1 Everest winner Nature Strip has annexed eight Group 1 victories, including the G1 T J Smith S. at Randwick Apr. 2. Home Affairs took the G1 Lightning S. at Flemington in February. The race has been a key stepping-stone for Australia's five Royal Ascot winners–Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast and Black Caviar all winning the five-furlong King's Stand.

“We have nominated both Nature Strip and Home Affairs for the King's Stand S. and the Platinum Jubilee S. This is to keep our options open as anything can happen with horses but we should have an exciting Royal Meeting, that is for sure,” said Chris Waller's assistant trainer and racing manager Charlie Duckworth. “Nature Strip has just come back into the stable after a short break following a busy racing preparation, while Home Affairs is back in work and going well. The plan is for both horses to do the majority of their work on home soil prior to travelling to England.”

Standing in the way of the Australian runners in the King's Stand is Golden Pal, sparkling winner of last fall's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The four-year-old kicked off this season with a win in the G2 Shakertown S. at Keeneland Apr. 9.

“Golden Pal is doing great, he really is,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “It was a powerful performance from him in the Shakertown–but it was a comeback and I really think his next run is going to be something special. He is a once in a lifetime horse–certainly the best I have ever had–and I think he will stamp that with his performance at Ascot if he runs like I am expecting him to.

“Physically, he is an awesome specimen now and mentally he is really coming into his own. I am just so excited to get him back over there.”

Also slated to contest the Royal meeting for Ward, Platinum Jubilee S. contender Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will bid to join a select group of horses to have won three different Royal Ascot races in successive years. The 4-year-old captured the G2 Queen Mary S. in 2020 and last year was second past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup before the placings were reversed due to interference.

“Barbara Banke [owner] and her team are so excited to get Campanelle back over there,” added Ward. “She had a strong performance on her comeback win at Keeneland the other day. If you watch that race against some of the fastest fillies in the country, what she did was pretty impressive.”

Representing Japan in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) may accompanied from Japan by fellow Group 1-winning contender Grenadier Guards (Frankel {GB}), who will target the Platinum Jubilee.

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer of Shahryar, said: “I discussed with the owner [Sunday Racing Co Ltd] about future plans after Shahryar won the Dubai Sheema Classic and we agreed that the next target for Shahryar must be the races with the highest profile in the world. I believe the Prince of Wales's S. is the ideal spot for the horse.”

There are 16 entries representing the USA at today's Group 1 entry stage. Among them is a host of runners trained by Graham Motion (Spendarella (Fr) (Common Grounds {GB}), G1 Coronation S. and Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}) (G1 St James's Palace S.) in addition to Brad Cox (Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (G1 King's Stand S.) or G1 Commonwealth Cup). Christophe Clement, who is responsible for last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), is targeting the Coronation S. The 3-year-old filly is owned by celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.

Clement said, “All options are open for Pizza Bianca after her second at Aqueduct last weekend. I am yet to have a discussion with the owner and suspect we will make a decision in the next two or three weeks. There is another stakes race in four weeks at Pimlico that she could go for and then from there you can go to Ascot. The filly will tell us what she wants to do but at the moment all options are wide open.”

Clement may also be represented by Slipstream (More Than Ready) and stakes winner Derrynane (Quality Road).

“Slipstream is very much on course for the Commonwealth Cup,” he confirmed. “He won [the Listed Palisades S.] impressively at Keeneland in April and I don't think I will run him back before Ascot. This horse has a very good mind and goes on any ground. He is very mature as well having been a good 2-year-old last year. I think he is a good horse.”

“I have also nominated a very fast filly called Derrynane. She is top-class but needs the ground on the firmer side. Similarly with Pizza Bianca, there is a stakes race for her [in the US] in late May and we may go there before deciding about the Commonwealth Cup.”

 

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Sy Dog Remains Unbeaten In Transylvania

Sent off the 57-10 second-longest shot on the board for Friday's co-featured event on opening day of the spring meeting at Keeneland, Head of Plains Partners' Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}) remained undefeated in three career appearances, holding off Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) for a narrow success in the GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S.. Coinage (Tapit) bid for the lead on the turn, but was outfinished by the top two and settled for third.

Racing at the back of the field and to the inside of favored Verbal (Flintshire {GB}) as they raced under the wire for the first time, Sy Dog found himself detached from the peloton as they cornered to the backstretch, as longshot Credibility (Nyquist) took them along at a sedate tempo. Coinage was happy to take the sit from second and clocked the pacesetter's every move before being allowed to stride into the lead with about 2 1/2 furlongs to travel. Verbal made a run outside of Coinage into the stretch and looked dangerous for a stride or two, but Sy Dog was asked for his best by Irad Ortiz, Jr., looked to exchange bumps on multiple occasions with Coinage into the final eighth of a mile and kicked on gamely, as Grand Sonata boxed on to earn the place spot.

“My horse was traveling perfect the whole race,” the winning jockey commented. “At the three-eighths pole, I thought it was time to pick it up. He did everything I asked for. He was ready. [Trainer] Graham Motion did a great job and I thank the owner [Head of Plains Partners] and the trainer for the opportunity.”

Sy Dog opened his account at first asking with a visually impressive victory going seven furlongs over the Belmont turf course Oct. 24 and peeled out wide in the stretch of the Nov. 27 Central Park S. at Aqueduct before behind shoved over the line a nose to the good.

Pedigree Notes:

Sy Dog is the second graded winner for his New York-based sire, who is also responsible for the Head of Plains-owned and -bred Fluffy Socks, a graded winner at two and three. My Love Venezuela is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Love Amplified (Exaggerator) and a yearling colt by Mshawish. She was most recently covered by Alternation.

Friday, Keeneland
KENTUCKY UTILITIES TRANSYLVANIA S.-GIII, $390,125, Keeneland, 4-8, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.38, gd.
1–SY DOG, 118, c, 3, by Slumber (GB)
                1st Dam: My Love Venezuela, by Scat Daddy
                2nd Dam: Gold Point Gal, by Deputy Commander
                3rd Dam: Stylish Star, by Our Native
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Head of Plains Partners LLC; B-Head of Plains Partners & Madaket Stables (KY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $244,900. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-3-0-0, $349,400. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Grand Sonata, 118, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–A. P. Sonata, by A.P. Indy. ($125,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Whisper Hill Farm,LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $79,000.
3–Coinage, 118, c, 3, Tapit–Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Chester Broman, Sr. and Mary Broman; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $29,625.
Margins: 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 5.70, 2.50, 5.10.
Also Ran: Napoleonic War, Verbal, Credibility.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Sy Dog Gets First Stakes Win In Central Park At Aqueduct

The stakes action at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., on Saturday got off to a thrilling start as second-time starter Sy Dog came out on top over longshot Ohtwoohthreefive in a desperate finish in the $100,000 Central Park for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the outer turf course.

Trained by Graham Motion for Head of Plains Partners, Sy Dog entered the Central Park having just one race under his belt, a promising, four-length score going seven furlongs on the turf at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on October 24, while Ohtwoohthreefive was one of the more experienced runners in the field having already made five starts in his young career.

Despite his lack of seasoning, Sy Dog was sent off as the very narrow 9-5 favorite over the Chad Brown-trained stakes winner General Ken, also 9-5 in the betting, who won the Awad at Belmont in his last start on November 5.

Deploying a tactic that netted him his impressive debut win, Sy Dog again found himself near the back of the pack under Luis Saez early in the Central Park as stretch-out sprinter Trust Daddy went out to lead the field with fellow Laurel Park shipper Wish Me Home keeping him company in second. The mid-Atlantic invaders ambled through reasonable splits of :24.44 for the opening quarter-mile, :49.12 for the half, and 1:13.28 for three-quarters, though both came up wanting when the field turned for home.

Under a full head of steam beneath Kendrick Carmouche, it was Ohtwoohthreefive that made the first move and blew the race wide open in upper stretch as Sy Dog remained patiently handled at the rear of the field. With a furlong to go, it looked as though Ohtwoohthreefive was home free, but the upstart Sy Dog came with a relentless rally to just get his nostril down on the wire and prevail in a photo finish.

“I was a little worried,” said Saez. “The horses on the lead kept going, but when he switched his lead he gave me that last turn of foot, so he came pretty fast and right on time. A pretty exciting race.

“I didn't really know [if I'd won], it was pretty tight,” added Saez. “It was close and the wire was right there so I wasn't sure, but in the last jump we found we got it.”

Sy Dog, bred in Kentucky by Head of Plains Partners and Madaket Stables, completed the distance in 1:43.42 and returned $5.80 on a $2 win wager. With the winner's share of the purse of $55,000, his career earnings stand at a nascent $104,500.

“You never know in the maiden races what you're up against,” said Motion. “He's made some of my other 2-year-olds look slow in the morning because he does things so easily. He's very classy.

“I think we'll get him down to Florida now,” added the trainer. “I'm not in a hurry to get him back but the Gulfstream stakes for 3-year-olds on the grass make the most sense.”

The New York-bred Maseta finished third, a length behind the runner-up and a head in front of a very unlucky General Ken. Ridden by Dylan Davis, General Ken was sitting in a pristine, stalking spot for the majority of the race, until his ground-saving journey turned out to be his undoing as he was glued to the rail in the stretch and unable to find any running room late.

Completing the order of finish were Grand Sonata, Geno, Wish Me Home, and Trust Daddy.

[Story Continues Below]

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card featuring the $150,000 Autumn Days in Race 7, the Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight in Race 8 and the $100,000 Tepin in Race 9. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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