Weaver Readying Juveniles for Royal Ascot Tests

Since the day No Nay Mets  and Crimson Advocate  won their Royal Ascot qualifiers May 13 at Gulfstream Park, trainer George Weaver has been busy making arrangements for his 2-year-olds' stakes appearances at England's most prestigious Thoroughbred meet.

No Nay Mets scored a front-running, 3 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile, a five-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds. Crimson Advocate sped to a 3 1/2-length romp in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, also going five furlongs on turf. Each earned a berth into one of six races for juveniles at the Royal Ascot meet, which will be run June 20-24.

"It's a special place to race horses. Their racing is top-notch," said Weaver, whose precocious juveniles each earned a $25,000 travel stipend with the victories at Gulfstream. "It's exciting when you have horses with the talent to participate."

Weaver has opted for the five-furlong Norfolk Stakes (G2) for No Nay Mets, a son of 2013 Norfolk winner No Nay Never . Crimson Advocate is being pointed toward the five-furlong Queen Mary Stakes (G2) June 21, the day before the Norfolk.

"They'll be leaving June 13, and they'll train at Newmarket," Weaver said. He will be accompanied by his wife, Cindy, who has made significant strides in her rehabilitation of a brain injury suffered last summer at Saratoga Race Course while exercising a horse that suddenly collapsed.

Frankie Dettori, the international superstar, has been engaged to ride No Nay Mets, who is owned by Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman's Bregman Family Racing. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount on Crimson Advocate, a daughter of Nyquist   owned by R.A. Hill Stable, Swinbank Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, RAP Racing, Chris Mara, BlackRidge Stables, and Amy Dunne.

No Nay Mets scored a 10-1 upset while making his debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile, in which he shook off early pressure before drawing away under Luca Panici. The colt, out of the War Front  Irish group 3 winner Etoile , was bred in Kentucky by Coolmore associates Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt. Bregman Family Racing bought No Nay Mets at the 2022 Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale for US$184,682.

Crimson Advocate outran trainer Wesley Ward's odds-on favorite Ocean Mermaid  in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, in which she wore blinkers for the first time during her front-running performance under Edwin Gonzalez.

The filly is out of Citizen Advocate , who won stakes on dirt and turf. Whitehall Lane Farm bred Crimson Advocate in Kentucky. Consignor Beth Bayer sold her for $100,000 during the Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearling Sale to Dew Sweepers, a partnership run by Jack Goldthorpe and Ciaran Dunne. She ran third in her debut April 26 at Keeneland, going 4 1/2 furlongs on the main track.