Inaugural Royal Palm Stakes Attract Full Fields

Trainer Wesley Ward, who has saddled 12 winners at Royal Ascot during his remarkable career, will be well represented at Gulfstream Park May 13 when he sends out Steve Cauthen's Holding the Line  for a start in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and Stonestreet Stables's Ocean Maid  for a run in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

The Royal Palm Juvenile, a five-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-olds, and the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, a five-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies, will each provide its winner with an automatic berth into one of six stakes during the June 20-24 Royal Ascot meeting, as well as a $25,000 equine travel stipend for shipping from the United States to England. The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association will offer a $25,000 bonus to any Florida-bred winner in addition to the winner's share of the purse.

Holding the Line, an Irish-bred son of Soldier's Call , is prominent in a field of 10 entered for the inaugural running of the Royal Palm Juvenile. Ocean Mermaid, a daughter of Kingman , will face 11 other fillies entered for the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

Holding the Line was purchased for US$71,980 at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 Ben McElroy and Cauthen, who rode 1977 Triple Crown winner Affirmed before enjoying a highly successful career riding in Europe.

"He's a horse purchased over in England. Steve picked him out with the hopes he himself can get back to Royal Ascot. They had him there last year commentating," Ward said.

Holding the Line is unraced due to the lack of turf opportunities for 2-year-olds at Keeneland this spring.

"There was only one race, and every trainer was allowed only one horse in the race if it oversubscribed. That entrant was Fandom," Ward said. He saddled Stonestreet Stables' Fandom for a 6 3/4-length triumph on turf April 27 to earn his way to Royal Ascot.

Holding the Line is well prepared for his career debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile and will be ridden by John Velazquez, according to Ward.

"He's a beautiful colt. He improved in his workouts at Palm Meadows when he was down in Florida on the grass. He's bred top and bottom for the turf, so I'm anxious to get him on there," he said. Holding the Line continued his training at Keeneland before shipping to Payson Park, where he breezed three furlongs in :37 Saturday morning.

Trainer George Weaver entered Dew Sweepers' Blast Furnace  in the Royal Palm Juvenile, as well as unraced No Nay Mets , who was purchased for $335,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Blast Furnace chased the Ward-trained Fandom at Keeneland in the April; 27 five-furlong maiden special weight race on turf before settling for second. No Nay Mets is a son of No Nay Never , whom Ward saddled for a victory in the 2013 Norfolk Stakes (G2) during Royal Ascot.

Edwin Gonzalez has been named on Blast Furnace, while Luca Panici has the call on Irish-bred No Nay Mets.

Florida-breds eligible for the bonus include Arindel's homebred Reaper , an impressive 5 3/4-length winner over Gulfstream's main track April 21 and who will make his turf debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile. Emisael Jaramillo has the call aboard the son of Arindel's stallion Brethren  . Others eligible are another Arindel hombred by Brethren named Tiberian Sun ; Jacks or Better Farm's Northshore Drive , by Fort Loudon, who finished third behind Reaper; and, Iron Horse Racing Stable and Harlow Stables' Mattingly , an unraced son of Bucchero  .

Ward had been waiting patiently for Ocean Mermaid to make her debut before entering the Great Britain-bred filly in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

"She's a turf filly. She was purchased at Tattersalls. Unfortunately, there has been only one turf race in America, that being a colt race. The filly race at Keeneland here was rained off the turf," Ward said. "Looking for a race with this race in mind from the onset, we sent her down there and had a nice breeze at Payson at my barn there. She's ready to go."

Ocean Mermaid breezed on turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, before putting in four workouts at Keeneland. She breezed three furlongs in :37 4/5 at Payson Park May 6.

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables bought the filly for US$252,547 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1.

"She was purchased to go to Royal Ascot. That was the whole reason for the purchase, as Barbara does each and every year. Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy goes over every year and picks out a few horses that look like Royal Ascot candidates," Ward said, adding that Velazquez has the call on Ocean Mermaid.

Dew Sweepers' Crimson Advocate  goes into the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies off a promising debut at Keeneland April 26. The George Weaver-trained daughter of Nyquist   raced wide and in traffic before finishing third in a five-furlong maiden special weight race on dirt. Gonzalez has the call on Crimson Advocate.

Christian Cruz's She Has Class  is the long entrant to have visited the winner's circle. The Javier Gonzalez-trained daughter of Khozan   closed from off the pace to capture her debut in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on Gulfstream's main track April 10. She is one of four Florida-bred fillies eligible for the FTBOA bonus that also includes Gary Barber and D. J. Stable's The Myth , an unraced daughter of The Factor   trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse; Robin Kaiser's Bucchera , an unraced daughter of Bucchero trained by Laura Cazares; and Cornejo Racing's Girvin Girl , an unraced daughter of Girvin   trained by Carlos David.

Double D. Racing's Turf Rocket, a daughter of More Than Ready, is scheduled to debut for trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer, who enjoyed international success this season after saddling Sibelius  for a victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1).