Royal Ascot Archives - Thoroughbred U

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023

American Ascot Entries

Classic Causeway has raced in several stakes, including two at Keeneland, in Kentucky. Now he has traveled to Ascot for the Prince Of Wales Stakes.

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Modern Games has raced several stakes including two at Keeneland in Kentucky. Next he will race in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot. — **Modern Games** has raced several stakes including two at Keeneland in Kentucky. Next he will race in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot.

Royal Ascot, is big on my bucket list. As an avid thoroughbred aficionado, I would love to watch The Sport Of Kings, at Ascot Racecourse, in Berkshire, England. The Royal Meeting kicks off Tuesday. I can not attend this year but several American entries will race at Royal Ascot and we can all enjoy them, from wherever we may be.

Twilight Gleaming has visited Keeneland's track in KY four times. She hopes to win the King's Stand at Ascot. — **Twilight Gleaming** has visited Keeneland’s track in KY four times. She hopes to win the King’s Stand at Ascot.

Thirty five races are scheduled over the five day Ascot meet, from 6/20 through 6/24/23. FanDuel TV and NBC (NBC Sports/Peacock) will offer live and streaming coverage to catch them all. Seven races per day will begin every day at 9:30 AM ET ( 1:10 PM in England) and end at 2:30 PM ET ( 6:10 PM in England). Eight races are Group 1 and least ten United States regulars are hopeful to contend.

Modern Games won the Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland. Will he win the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot? — **Modern Games** won the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland. Will he win the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot?

Tuesday (6/20/23), the races begin with The G1 Queen Anne Stakes at 9:30 AM ET. Modern Games, having raced twice at at my home track, Keeneland, will look to win again. Then, at 10:40 AM ET, plan to watch the Group 1, King’s Stand Stakes. Twilight Gleaming, having raced four times at Keeneland, will go for international glory.

Wednesday(6/21/23), will feature five thoroughbreds, that call the United States home. Cynane, Crimson Advocate and Bundchen all face off in the G2, Queen Mary Stakes at 9:30 AM ET. That same day, at 11:20 AM ET, Classic Causeway will post in the G1 Prince Of Wales Stakes. Then, at 1:10 PM ET, watch Fandom race in the Windsor Castle Stakes. Crimson Advocate, Bundchen, Fandom and Classic Causeway, have all raced at Keeneland.

Thursday (6/21/23), enjoy the G2 Norfolk Stakes, at 9:30 AM ET, with both No Way Mets and American Rascal. American Rascal won his first and only career start at Keeneland.

Saturday (10/24/23), do not miss Big Invasion, in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at 10:40 AM ET.

I would be chuffed to see the American raced horses perform well at Ascot. Is anyone going or already living Across The Pond a regular follower of Throughbred U? Thank you and all are welcome.

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June 23, 2018June 23, 2018

Ascot Aftermath

Lady Aurelia at Keeneland this past Spring raced at Royal Ascot for a third time.

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Bound for Nowhere races regularly at Keeneland. He finished third in the Grade 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. — **Bound for Nowhere** races regularly at Keeneland. He finished third in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

All good things must come to an end. The 5 days of racing at Royal Ascot concluded today. There were several contenders representing America and with a scattering of races that provide a berth into the Breeders’ Cup we will see many of these Thoroughbreds compete in champion races again. Now that the races are over, let’s see the results in the aftermath of the Ascot.

Chelsea Cloisters, pictured at Keeneland, was a contender in the Queen Mary Stakes. — **Chelsea Cloisters**, pictured at Keeneland, was a contender in the Queen Mary Stakes.

Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, Berkshire, England opened for live racing in 1711. The racecourse was founded by Queen Anne of the British Royal Family. The Royals still attend and enter contenders annually. In the same year of the racecourse’s inauguration, Queen Anne also initiated Royal Ascot, the 5 day highlight of British racing’s calendar year. In 2018, the races were held Tuesday, June 18th thru Saturday 6/23. 18 Grouped (the British version of Graded) Stakes took place. 8 races were Group One. The purse was over 7.3 million pounds (more than 9.6 million in U.S dollars). The event is very ritzy, with the classiest of fashion. 4 races offered automatic berths into the 2018 Breeders’ Cup.

<strong>Lady Aurelia</strong> won the Giant's Causeway at Keeneland, she raced at Royal Ascot for a third time. — **Lady Aurelia** won the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland, she raced at Royal Ascot for a third time.

Here is a listing of the 8 Group One stakes with the distance and the winner as well as another BC berth race:

The Queen Anne Stakes- 1 mile – Accidental Agent -berth into the BC Mile
The King’s Stand Stakes – 5 furlongs – Blue Point
The St. James’s Palace Stakes – 1 mile – Without Parole
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes -1 mile and 2 furlongs – Poet’s Word -berth into the BC Turf
The Norfolk Stakes (this is the only Group 2 on this list)-5 furlongs – Shang Shang Shang -berth into the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint
The Gold Cup -2 miles and 4 furlongs –Stradivarius
The Commonwealth Cup – 6 furlongs –Eqtidaar
The Coronation Stakes – 1 mile –Alpha Centauri
The Diamond Jubilee Stakes – 6 furlongs – Merchant Navy -berth into the BC Turf Sprint

Congratulations to all of the Royal Ascot winners and for the talented American racehorses that were worthy to attend. Royal Ascot is on my bucket list. I would love to experience the glamor and royalty of this 5 day racing event. I hope you were pleased with the aftermath of the Ascot. Keep following for more information on this summer’s top races and all things Thoroughbred.Share This:

April 23, 2016April 23, 2016

Tepin, She Can Run…

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Tepin can run but she can’t hide. Well, actually she is very good at that as well. I have seen Tepin before but I was really hoping to see her up closer while she was in town for the Jenny Wiley 1 week ago today, on 4/16/16. Alas, better luck next time. I still got some nice paddock and track photos and she was amazing again as she broke a track record and won by 5 lengths.

Search my site and it is easy to see my interest in Tepin’s star power. I have written about her before. I first took notice of Tepin on 10/3/15 when I watched her win the Grade 1, First Lady Stakes at Keeneland race track in Lexington, KY. That was actually her 14th career start. It was her 2nd race and win at Keeneland, where she broke her maiden as early as 10/6/13. I didn’t have to wait long to see her again. She triumphed in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on 10/31/15, also held at Keeneland.

Tepin has quite the fan following now and she has earned it. This year she has won 3 Graded stakes as a 5 year old and is tied with Songbird for the top rank in the American Graded Stakes Standings. Tepin has had 18 career starts including 10 wins, 3 place finishes and 1 time with a show. She is an Eclipse Winner and she is on a winning steak, 5 races deep. In 2016 she won the Grade 3 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay, the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes, also at Tampa Bay and now the Grade 1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland. She set a record in the Hillsborough and then again in the Jenny Wiley. Her earnings stand at $2,895,873.

Tepin has Julien Leparoux for her jockey. She is owned by Robert E. Masterson and trained by Mark Casse and his son/assistant Norman Casse. She is the offspring of sire Bernstein and dam Life Happened.

Now what will Tepin do next? She is nominated for the 29th running of the Grade 1, $500,000, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic! Kentucky Derby Day just got a little more fantastic if Tepin runs in the Woodford at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, Saturday, 5/7/16. Fingers crossed she will enter the field of 14 to hit the 1 and 1/18 miles of turf. Wise Dan won the Woodford twice in 2013 and 2014. After that she may head to Great Britain to take on the 1 mile Queen Anne Stakes on opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday 6/16/16.

Watching Tepin win is a joy I could never get tired of. She makes is look so fun and easy. I hope when she is done being a turf star that she will live her life here in Kentucky, where she was bred. Perhaps, then I can meet her on a farm tour and maybe she will breed some other fast fillies! Below, I included the song that came to mind when titling today’s story. Phil Collins and a cute dog too! Thank you for reading. Look for my story next week, please. Keeneland has right under a week to go and I’m going back to bring you more stories and pictures.

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June 16, 2015June 22, 2015

Chromies Will Miss Out On Crown Again

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Before American Pharoah took home the much anticipated Triple Crown in 2015, there was another California horse that tried his best to do so last year. The 2014 Horse of the Year, California Chrome, came in 1st in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes only to find disappointment in the Belmont Stakes, when he ran 4th place. His loyal fans, lovingly called the California Chromies, didn’t lose faith. California Chrome continues to race very well and he was going to run in the Royal Ascot’s Prince of Wales Stakes tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17th, 2015 until a foot bruise that showed up on Monday resulted in an abscess. The Royal Ascot was started by the British monarchy and continues to be attended by the Royal Family annually. Queen Elizabeth II is said to be a Chromie herself. It is a shame that now we won’t know if California Chrome has what it takes to win a royal race and he will miss this crowning moment.

California Chrome is a 4 year old chestnut colt, with white markings, bred and born in California. He came into this world on February 18, 2011 as the foal of Lucky Pulpit, his sire and Love the Chase, his dam. His sire, from Kentucky, placed in multiple graded stakes. His dam came from Maryland and only had 1 win in 6 lifetime starts. Both parents had reported breathing issues. People made fun of breeders and owners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn for this breeding choice and the men turned the bullying around choosing to name themselves DAP for Dumb A## Partners and appropriately putting those initials and a donkey on their purple silks. The white markings on a horse can be called chrome. That gave rise to the horses name. He ran his 1st race in April of 2013 at Hollywood Park where he placed second with Alberto Delgado as his jockey. California Chrome had an amazing career in 2014. He won the 1st two legs of the Triple Crown but getting stepped on, at the Belmont Stakes, he injured his heel and that may have been what cost him the race. That did not stop him though. He went on to run 6th in the Pennsylvania Derby, then 3rd in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, followed by a win in the Hollywood Derby. That year he ranked 2nd in earnings and 46th in wins. He ran with the now Triple Crown winning jockey, Victor Espinoza in most of 2014 and early 2015. In addition to the Eclipse American Horse of the Year title he also won American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse. The Kentucky Derby win was called the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Moment of the Year. He also obtained the Secretariat Vox Populi Award. This year he has ran 2nd in both the San Antonio Stakes and the prestigious Dubai World Cup. After the missed Royal Ascot race he will return to the United States to race more and try for contention in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup. He has a few more races to get in before 2015 wraps when he is expected to retire to stud in Kentucky.

The Royal Ascot was founded by Queen Anne in 1711. It takes place in Ascot, at a race course of the same name, located in Berkshire, England just a few miles from Windsor Castle. The event lasts 5 days, Tuesday (today) thru Saturday. Over 300,000 visitors are expected to attend. The Prince of Wales Stakes , created in 1862 for King Edward VII, is a Group 1 turf race of 1 mile and 2 furlongs. There will be 30 races in all. California Chrome was to be the most anticipated horse. The overall purse for the event is 5.5 million pounds.

It is rumored that Perry Martin, being the 70% owner of California Chrome, had pushed to enter this race. Trainers Art and Alan Sherman, a father and son team, were not fans of this choice. California Chrome has only ran 1 turf race prior, he did win that race but also the surface is a lot choppier at Ascot.

If California Chrome had raced in England he would have used jockey William Buick. Buick won the Prince of Wales Stakes last year riding The Fugue. Jockey, Buick, has had major wins in 7 countries including the United States where he won the Arlington Million with Debussy in 2010.

I have been preparing for this post for over a week and it is a shame it has now taken such a different direction. I was very excited, hoping to see California Chrome compete on an international level. Most importantly, I pray the wound heals quickly and we can get our beloved champ home to race a little bit longer and win a few more big races. I would love to see him run in the Breeders’ Cup in Lexington, KY this October and then have him stick around for his retirement thereafter. This Chromie won’t give up on hope!

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