A total of 243 entries have been received for four Group 2 contests at Royal
Ascot, with international representation from the United States, France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia and the U.A.E.
Kenny McPeek is preparing a diverse team of horses for the Royal Meeting,
headed by the top-class three-year-old Rosalind, who is among 78 entries for the
12-furlong Ribblesdale Stakes on day three, June 19.
The daughter of Broken Vow, who is also entered in the Coronation Stakes at
Royal Ascot and the Epsom Oaks, was beaten a half-length into third in the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on dirt at Santa Anita in November.
She dead-heated in the Ashland, over 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack, at Keeneland
on April 5 and is one of the leading contenders for Saturday’s Kentucky Oaks
over nine furlongs on dirt at Churchill Downs.
“Rosalind has done super since the Ashland and is all set for the Kentucky
Oaks on Friday,” McPeek said. “It depends on how she gets on this weekend, but
there is a good chance she will come to Europe as I am keen to get her on the
grass.
“She’s in the Oaks at Epsom and two races at Royal Ascot, but I am not
favoring one over the other. I just wanted to keep my options open.”
Frac Daddy, also trained by McPeek, is among 46 entries for the Hardwicke
Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot, June 21.
The four-year-old was second in the Arkansas Derby on dirt in April, 2013,
but put in a career best performance on the Polytrack at Keeneland when an
impressive 4 3/4-length winner of the nine-furlong Ben Ali on April 19.
“We would like to bring Frac Daddy over for the Hardwicke Stakes. We are
still working on the logistics of it all but hopefully that will play out well,”
McPeek said.
“He has been doing super since his win at Keeneland and he was quite
impressive that day. It was by far his best performance and he is a horse that
seems to be getting better and better with age. We think he will handle the step
up to a mile and a half, but it’s just a matter of if he will handle the change
of direction.
“He will train here in Kentucky at Magdalena Farm in preparation for going to
Ascot, but I’m not sure if he will run again beforehand.”
Entries for the Hardwicke, which has no penalties, also include last season’s
Derby and St Leger heroes Ruler of the World and Leading Light, who are among
six entries for Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien.
French maestro Andre Fabre could run Grand Prix de Paris victor Flintshire,
while Sir Michael Stoute, the most successful trainer in the race with seven
victories, has a four-strong entry including Telescope and Hillstar.
Kentucky-based McPeek is also hoping to bring over recent Grade 3 scorer
Occasional View and a small team of two-year-olds.
“I want to bring Occasional View over for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (on June
21),” McPeek said. “He won well last time and could go to Canada for (the Vigil)
on May 11. If he wins that, then he is almost a definite for Ascot.
“I am also going to try to bring three two-year-olds. One will go for the
Chesham, one for the Norfolk and one for the Albany.”
Last year’s Coronation Stakes heroine Sky Lantern headlines 38 entries for
the Duke of Cambridge Stakes on June 18, while the King Edward VII Stakes on
June 20, often referred to as the Ascot Derby, has received 81 entries.
Royal Ascot takes place over five days, June 17-21.