Queen Mary Winner Crimson Advocate Returns in Limestone

Crimson Advocate , who traveled abroad to defeat 25 rivals last summer in the June 21 Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, kicks off her 3-year-old season when she faces an overflow field of turf sprinters in the $250,000 Limestone Stakes April 12 at Keeneland.

The daughter of Nyquist   returns after finishing sixth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, after setting the pace in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. That was her fourth start as a juvenile and her only race since the Queen Mary.

Prior to traveling to Great Britain, she won at Gulfstream Park on turf in the May 13 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes, a race that provided the winner an automatic to one of six stakes during the Royal Ascot meet. That had followed a third-place finish April 26 on dirt at Keeneland.

George Weaver trains Crimson Advocate for Wathnan Racing. John Velazquez will ride.

Other Competitors

• Crimson Advocate is not the only Breeders' Cup returnee Weaver starts in the 5 1/2-furlong Limestone. Amidst Waves , 10th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, is also back in action for Weaver, who prepped the duo with workouts at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida this winter and spring. Amidst Waves won two ungraded stakes races on turf last year and was second, beaten a nose, in the Oct. 8 Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland before racing in the Breeders' Cup.
• Other top Limestone prospects include Nice As Pie , BigTrouble, Foxxy Cleopatra , Kodiac Wintergreen , Toupie , Pipsy , and Zoe's Prime .