Lady Aurelia, one of the primary American hopes at next month’s Royal Ascot fixture, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 over the firm turf at Keeneland on Tuesday for trainer Wesley Ward.
“She had a great work today,” Ward said of Lady Aurelia afterward. “We put her in front [of workmate Bound for Nowhere], like she usually does in her races, and she just kind of cruised around there.”
A dominating, seven-length winner of the Queen Mary (G2) at last year’s Royal Ascot last year, the daughter of Scat Daddy later captured the Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville, but finished third in the Cheveley Park (G1) at Newmarket in her season finale.
In her 2017 debut on April 15, Lady Aurelia beat older rivals in the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland by 2 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs. Her intended target at Ascot is the five-furlong King’s Stand (G1) against older horses on opening day (June 20) of the five-day meeting.
Lady Aurelia is scheduled to breeze once more at Keeneland next Monday before departing for England the following morning.
Ward’s other Royal Ascot workers on Tuesday were:
Bound for Nowhere, undefeated in two starts, completed his five-furlong turf move in 1:00.20 in advance of the June 23 Commonwealth Cup (G1), a six-furlong race for three-year-olds.
The two-year-olds Fairyland and McErin worked together in :48 in advance of the June 23 Albany (G3) for fillies at six furlongs and the June 22 Norfolk (G2) at five furlongs, respectively.
Also working four furlongs were the two-year-old fillies Happy Like a Fool (:48.60) and Nootka Sound (:48.80), who are on target for the June 21 Queen Mary and June 20 Windsor Castle, respectively.
