Ward to Send Out Lucci, Nakatomi in Norfolk

It is widely documented that Wesley Ward's 2-year-olds are physically further forward than what we are used to seeing in Europe. If horse racing featured a similar size and weight advantage as boxing, the stewards would have to stop Royal Ascot juvenile races before they have even begun.

However, that isn't the case. There is no arguing that early development is a huge advantage in all sports—athletics, basketball, and football come to mind among plenty of other examples—but the biggest and strongest aren't guaranteed to have the most talent. That is the brilliance of it.

Ward has won the Norfolk Stakes (G2) with No Nay Never  (2013) and Shang Shang Shang  (2018), who was so good they named him thrice, in recent seasons and is doubly represented this year with fine physical stamps Lucci  and Nakatomi . If any horse is going to wow you with his size and strength this year, Lucci is the one.

A son of the precocious miler Not This Time  , Lucci doesn't scream turf sprinter by looking at his pedigree but you couldn't help but be impressed by his all-the-way success on his debut at Belmont Park. The $290,000 purchase ran a quick time (five furlongs in :56.92, just over a second slower than the track record) and he certainly didn't appear to be a front-running quitter you can get with early season types. 

Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez retains the mount and he rates the clear number one string for Ward. Nakatomi has more to prove after a debut success on the sloppy dirt track at Keeneland going 4 1/2 furlongs. That field lacked depth, though the runner-up has scored twice since, and he didn't show the same acceleration as Lucci in his turf sprint. Nakatomi needs to translate that form to turf and change leads more efficiently to feature for new owners Qatar Racing.

The Norfolk is part of the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and awards the winner an expenses-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

No Nay Never is now turning heads in the breeding sheds and is represented by his son, Cadamosto, another who is untested on turf after a runaway success on the Polytrack at Dundalk.

His cozy 3 1/2-length victory came in a maiden that often produces talented winners. Aidan O'Brien sent out bullet sprinter Caravaggio   to claim the prize in 2016, while Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) winner Skitter Scatter  fended off subsequent group 3 winner Sergei Prokofiev  in 2018. It would be naive to assume that this hasn't always been the target for Cadamosto, whose high cruising speed should put him on the premises.

Course-and-distance form is an added edge for the David Loughnane-trained Go Bears Go, who fended off five rivals to land a notable gamble on his first outing six weeks ago. He showed good determination to get off to a winning start, but had the run of the race in the lead against the rail given they went slow fractions early (:15.15 opening furlong). The form has been let down on a few occasions since.

Clive Cox saddled 2012 winner Reckless Abandon  and is looking for a second success with Instinctive Move, who is perhaps the best of the home challenge. He was at full stretch to keep tabs with pacemaker Poderoso, who set searching fractions, at Bath but finished off his race well (third-fastest closing sectional despite racing up with the pace). Natural improvement could see him come out on top.

O'Brien Hoping Rain Stays Away

Cadamosto has one run and one electrifying performance under his belt, but Aidan O'Brien is ruing the fact that the Dundalk maiden scorer has been unable to gain more experience ahead of his Norfolk mission. 

Razor sharp on debut when bolting up by 3 1/2 lengths, Cadamosto has been scratched four times since, often due to unsuitable ground.

As such, O'Brien is hoping Ascot avoids much of the forecast rain, as he fears the ground softening would blunt Cadamosto's speed.

He explained: "We liked him when he won at Dundalk. We just didn't get to run him again, which isn't ideal. We always felt he was a very fast horse and nice ground is what we always thought he wanted.

"We just kept waiting and waiting for the ground but it never came. He is in good form; we are hoping he runs well and hopefully the rain doesn't arrive."