Acapulco Second to Mecca's Angel in Nunthorpe

Acapulco didn’t reward trainer Wesley Ward with a win in his creative move of starting the 2-year-old filly against older horses in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (Eng-I) Aug. 21 at York, but she most assuredly delivered a memorable performance in finishing second.

Owned by connections associated with John Magnier’s Coolmore operation, Acapulco opened a clear lead in the final furlong of the five-furlong test for horses 2 and older, but the Scat Daddy   filly could not hold off a late surge by 4-year-old filly Mecca's Angel. David Metcalf’s Mecca’s Angel, a daughter of Dark Angel, found her best stride inside the final furlong when she was angled out by jockey Paul Mulrennan to slip past the favored 2-year-old filly and post a two-length victory.

While Mecca’s Angel becomes the fifth filly in the past 11 years to win the Nunthorpe, Acapulco certainly earned recognition as well. No other horse challenged her late and she easily held second, two lengths ahead of third-place Mattmu, a 3-year-old group II-winning colt; and 2 1/2 lengths ahead of fourth-place Sole Power, an 8-year-old gelding who has won five group I sprints.

Acapulco did receive a significant weight advantage, carrying 112 pounds, which was at least 24 pounds less than any of her 18 rivals.

Acapulco has handled travel after winning this year’s Queen Mary Stakes (gr. II) against other 2-year-old fillies at Royal Ascot and prepared at Keeneland for Friday’s run. She also handled the challenge of backing out of the gate after Take Cover got loose before the race and eventually was withdrawn. The 19 starters had to wait several minutes before reloading.

"I was very proud of her, any time you get a two-year-old filly up against older horses like this. She made the running and finishing second is a little tough to swallow, but she is a lovely filly and she has done everything right," Ward told Racing Post. "To come back and forth twice and run as big as she did, it was an amazing run."

Despite those challenges, Acapulco soon found her footing after breaking from post 4 and surged to the early lead on the good-to-soft turf. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. let the 9-5 favorite drift out just a few paths toward the center of the straight five-furlong course where she flourished and opened a clear advantage. Just when Ward's vision seemed to be coming true, Michael Dods-trained Mecca’s Angel, at 7-1, unleashed her winning move to complete the test in :57.24.

"Irad Ortiz said, and I agree with him, that the ground was a little soft today and that maybe was something that she is not quite used to and she would really prefer firm ground but we got beat on the square, there are no real excuses. It would have been great to win but I am really proud of her," Ward told Racing Post. "I will talk with everybody at Coolmore and we will make a plan but she has got a big future, she is very sound and she has got a world of speed. I think she has got some big days coming in the future."

With the victory in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race, Mecca’s Angel is ensured a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. I). (Had Acapulco won the Nunthorpe, Breeders’ Cup officials would have had to dig deep into the rule book as Challenge races ensure the winner a spot in corresponding races but the Turf Sprint is restricted to 3-year-olds and older.)

Earlier in the day Frankie Dettori guided Rich Ricci’s Max Dynamite to a 4 1/2-length score in the 2 1/2-mile Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup (Eng-II). The 5-year-old son of Great Jouney, who previously had placed in stakes on the flat and over jumps, earned the first stakes victory of his career.