Ward Strikes With Acapulco in Queen Mary
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Trainer Wesley Ward added another Royal Ascot stakes win to his ledger on Wednesday, June 17 when Acapulco delivered a clear victory over 19 other 2-year-old fillies in the Queen Mary Stakes (Eng-II).
Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Acapulco finished third in her debut May 8 in a 4 1/2-furlong race on the Churchill Downs main track, but the Scat Daddy filly thrived on the Royal Ascot turf.
After breaking from post 20 in the race contested over a straight five furlongs, Acapuclo and jockey Ryan Moore raced in a near side group. Just past the quarter pole, Acapulco was asked for her best and she quickly opened a clear advantage on the field that she carried to the finish.
Acapulco was followed home in second by Ritchie Fiddes' Easton Angel, a daughter of Dark Angel who had won her first two starts; and Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Besharah, who also had won her first two races, in third.
Acapulco, bred in Kentucky by Dr. Charles Giles out of the End Sweep mare Global Finance, went through the sales ring twice before beginning her racing career. She was a $180,000 purchase by Scott & Evan Dilworth at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky 2014 select yearling sale, and was obtained by M.V. Magnier for $750,000 from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s 2015 sale of 2-year-olds in training this March.
Also Friday, Moyglare Stud homebred Free Eagle nailed down his first group I victory by just holding off a late charge from The Grey Gatsby to win the Prince of Wales's Stakes by a short head.
Free Eagle churned into the lead near the quarter pole in the 1 1/4-mile race for older horses as Frank Gillespie's The Grey Gatsby and jockey Jamie Spencer searched for running room. Just as Free Eagle and jockey Pat Smullen appeared home free, The Grey Gatsby emerged into the clear and quickly made up ground but it was a stride too late as the 4-year-old Mastercraftsman colt fell just short.
Trained by Dermot Weld and previously a group III winner, Free Eagle signaled a strong 2015 season to come when he closed last year with a third-place finish in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (Eng-I) at Ascot. Two-time group I winner The Grey Gatsby earned his fifth group I placing. Western Hymn placed third Wednesday.
The 1 1/4-mile race for older horses had been the target of California Chrome until last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner was scratched from the race because of a foot bruise.
In the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Eng-II) Wednesday, Sir Robert Ogden homebred Amazing Maria rallied from last of six to score an upset victory in the one-mile race for older fillies and mares. Rizeena finished second followed by Ciadocera third.
Amazing Maria, a 4-year-old Mastercraftsman filly, won Wednesday's race by two lengths to secure her first stakes win since taking a 2013 group III race at Goodwood.