Acapulco could take on elders in Nunthorpe; Undrafted to Sprint Cup at Haydock

Acapulco could take on elders in Nunthorpe; Undrafted to
Sprint Cup at Haydock

Coolmore’s Acapulco (Scat Daddy), an eye-catching winner of last week’s Queen
Mary (Eng-G2), at Royal Ascot for trainer Wesley Ward, could take the path less
traveled by Ward’s precocious juveniles and run in the Nunthorpe (Eng-G1)
against older rivals on August 21.

Ward has yet to run any of his Royal Ascot winners in the Nunthorpe, but he
admitted the weight allowance — Acapulco would receive as much as 25 pounds
from her rivals — makes it tempting.

“She’s really something,” Ward said. “She’s always been a big filly; that’s
why we bought her, she was so imposing at the sale. It was so disappointing when
she had her first run on the dirt (third in a maiden special weight at Churchill
Downs on May 8), but we brought her home, breezed her on the grass, and that was
the making of her.

“I’ve nominated her for the Lowther (Eng-G2) (for two-year-old fillies on
August 20) as well just in case, but she would get 25 pounds in the Nunthorpe
and that is a hell of an allowance. I’ve never wanted to take on the older
horses with a two-year-old before, but this could be the right one.”

Undrafted gave Ward his fifth Royal Ascot winner but first by a horse older than two (Photo courtesy of GBI Racing via Twitter) Ward said he has also spoken with John Velazquez about taking the riding assignment. “Now as good as Ryan (Moore, who rode Acapulco in the Queen Mary) is, I wouldn’t want to be giving any of that (weight) advantage away, so I’ve had a word with John Velazquez,” Ward noted. “The race is on a Friday so it won’t conflict with any of his commitments in Saratoga.” Ward also revealed Tuesday that Diamond Jubilee (Eng-G1) winner Undrafted (Purim) will wait for the Sprint Cup (Eng-G1) on September 5 instead of returning for a rematch with Diamond Jubilee second Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) in the July Cup (Eng-G1) at Newmarket on July 11. “The July Cup is out; I just thought Ascot was such a high and he put in a real gut-wrenching effort that I wanted to get him home and give him some time,” Ward explained. “The race we are really looking at now is the Sprint Cup. Haydock is a flat track and that will suit him.” Reflecting on Saturday’s win by the Wes Welker and Sol Kumin-owned gelding, Ward said, “I definitely got more pleasure out of him winning. People had been saying I could only train the two-year-olds, so to win with him was great. It was some sight watching him come right down the outside.” Frankie Dettori was up on Undrafted.

“What about Frankie,?” Ward added. “He is just unbelievable, an unbelievable
guy.”

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