A pair of US-trained horses are on their way to Royal Ascot next month after winning qualifying contests at Gulfstream Park on Saturday [May 10].
Patrick Biancone-trained Lennilu was an impressive winning favorite in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, while Sandal’s Song – representing previous Royal Ascot winner George Weaver – took the Royal Palm Juvenile.
Both ‘Royal Palm’ races are five-furlong events on turf; each winner earns an automatic berth in one of six juvenile stakes during Royal Ascot [June 17-21], plus a $25,000 travel stipend.
Lennilu punched her ticket to Royal Ascot in impressive fashion, overcoming some early trouble to romp by 3¾ lengths as the favorite in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. Crimson Advocate won the race before claiming the G2 Queen Mary at Ascot two years ago.
“The plan is Royal Ascot as long as she is healthy and everything goes right,” winning trainer Patrick Biancone said. “But I don’t see why it would be a problem.”
With Luis Saez in town for the race, 4-5 chance Lennilu completed the distance in 56.99 seconds over a firm turf course. It was her second race following a one-length debut triumph going 4½ furlongs over a sloppy and sealed main track on April 6 at Keeneland.
“Luis loved her from the day he rode her at Keeneland. He said he wanted to ride her at Ascot and I said, ‘Easy, we have to do one stop at Gulfsteam first!’” Biancone said.
“She’s a machine,” he went on. “She’s very relaxed. She traveled to Keeneland, it was bad weather. She shed-rowed two days, jogged one day and ran like a monster.
“The father [Leinster] was a very good sprinter on turf so I had a lot of confidence in her coming into this race. The plan all along was to get to Ascot. That’s why so many partners joined in for that trip.”
Saturday’s race saw Wesley Ward’s Keeneland winner Satisfied Mind break running and establish the early lead after an opening quarter-mile in 22.03s.
Lennilu, who bumped with Satisfied Mind at the break, pressed in second. The half-mile went in 45.25s as Lennilu came off the far turn racing two wide to take over the top spot and powered through the lane to separate from her rivals while under a hold from Saez.
“She’s a very nice filly,” said the jockey. “She broke from there well, put herself in a good position. At the top of the stretch she was a little green first time on turf, but she’s got a lot of ability. I had a lot of horse at the end.
“I was pretty confident after I rode at Keeneland,” he added. “She won that race very professionally. I had a lot of horse left that day, too. Now I’m looking forward to going to Ascot. That’s why we came here today.”
Biancone (above right) added: “We were on the one hand very confident, because all the horses she beat at Keeneland won their next start, but that makes you a bit anxious, too.
“She’s a baby, but she will learn. She was a little bit green coming to the stretch, but she’s learning and, hopefully, she’ll be even better in six weeks.”
Weaver heading back to Britain with Sandal’s Song
Sandal’s Song rallied past 4-5 favorite Squire in early stretch and continued to register a winning debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park, giving Crimson Advocate’s trainer George Weaver a return trip to Royal Ascot.
“We’re excited. Hopefully, if he comes out of it well, we’ll try to get to Ascot,” Weaver said. “We’ve got the lay of the land. We understand it. It takes a good horse, and I think we got one.”
Sandal’s Song, a son of Mendelssohn sent off at 7-1, broke last in a field of eight from the inside post.
He quickly recovered under jockey Luca Panici while advancing along the inside to sit behind dueling pacesetters Beers On Me and Squire heading into the far turn. Taking advantage of a quick first quarter in 21.90s, Panici eased Sandal’s Song off the rail to make a three-wide sweep on the turn into the homestretch.
Squire, the Patrick Biancone-trained stablemate of Lennilu, took a lead into the stretch but was unable to withstand surging Sandal’s Song, who drew away to win by a length and a half.
“I expected something special because I worked the horse. I was confident,” Panici said. “The trip was perfect. I think he has a very, very nice future.”
Sandal’s Song ran five furlongs on a firm turf course in 56.30s. Squire finished second, 5½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Arkadelphia.
“I had the filly [Royal Testament] in the other race and the one hole was a disadvantage for both of them although it affected her more than the colt,” said Weaver of Royal Testament, who finished sixth.
“He was able to get up in a nice position before they hit the turn,” the trainer added. “I don’t really hone on my first-time starters. He’d done enough. I knew he was fast. Good horses go out there and do what they’re supposed to do.”
As for Royal Ascot ambitions? “If he comes out of this race, well, I’d like to take him there,” said Weaver. “I see no reason not to. I feel comfortable he’s the caliber who should go if he’s doing well.”
• Visit the Gulfstream Park website and the Royal Ascot website
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