Cannonball (US) to race at Royal Ascot: King's Stand Stakes

[Glimmerglass]

Wesley Ward-trained, Ken & Sarah Ramsey-owned (and bred) Cannonball ... not be confused with this former hit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpoqzt2EHaA) is in England for Royal Ascot.

The Group-1 King's Stand Stakes - on turf at 5F - will be held Tuesday June 16th will be aired live on TVG.

Cannonball, invited as guest, will be going off at about 40-1.

The gelding's last effort was May 1st at Churchill Downs in the Aegon Turf Sprint Stakes (Grade 3) (http://www.ntra.com/races.aspx?section=races&id=37521) where he finished 2nd.

American-trained horses are rather rare: the last American-trained runner at Royal Ascot was the Jeff Mullins horse Mighty Beau, who finished fifth in the King's Stand Stakes in 2005.

[Linny]

I thought Cannonball ran well last out. (Of course, I had him to win so...not well enough...) I'm curious to see how the US based horses do. Royal Ascot is the "elite of the elite" in terms of race meetings and it certainly will be a stern test.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

The Royal meeting gets underway tomorrow (Tues through Sat), with the first race off at 2:30 local time. Lots of people wearing silly-ass hats and stuff, and Queen Betty gets driven up the course in a carriage, but don't let that scare you off, it's a feast of horseflesh and good racing.

Tuesday's card
2:30 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) 1m (4yo+)
3:05 King´s Stand Stakes (G1) 5f (3yo+)
3:45 St James´s Palace Stakes (G1) 1m (3yo Entire colts)
4:20 Coventry Stakes (G2) 6f (2yo)
4:55 Ascot Stakes (Handicap) 2m4f (4yo+)
5:30 Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed Race) 5f (2yo)

The highlights of the day should be the Kings Stand, straight 5f with top speedsters, including the very fancied Aussie raiders Scenic Blast and Takeover Target (the $1000 horse who has won over $4m and still racing at 10 years old), plus South African, Spanish, French and the aforementioned Cannonball carrying the star spangled banner.

The St James' Palace Stakes should be a cracker too, with top 3yo milers Mastercrafstman, Delegator and Evasive going up against each other again. Btw, the first two home in this race last year were the same two horses that finished 1-2 in the BC Classic last Oct, Henry and Raven's Pass.

Queen Anne Stakes lacks some of the star power it's had the last couple of years, but does have a couple of intriguing entries in the Godolphin pair of Galdiatorius and Alexandros.

I believe TVG are carrying the action, plus it can be viewed on the web for those interested.
Here's a course map and aerial view (http://www.racingpost.com/horses/course_home.sd?crs_id=2&bottom_tab=2) of Ascot.

[hitchinmygetalong]

Scenic Blast! (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/userfiles/image/Scenic%2520Blast%2520Scott%2520Hollands%2520Perth. jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/spring-racing/Default.aspx%3Fid%3D40735%26page%3D1%26keyword%3D&usg=__Z2ZJU29ygPqB_MkGqmeacqF0Hpw=&h=207&w=310&sz=45&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=0rRfk_bAGmtgjM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dscenic%2Bblast%2Bthoroughbred%26gbv%3 D2%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG) What a gorgeous, gorgeous horse. He was incredibly cool in the call to the post, ran a brilliant race - beautiful.

I couldn't decide if he had no noseband or whether they just use one that matches that incredible blaze.

I have to say I am SO impressed with the way they load these horses into the gate - no manhandling, no pushing, no ear grabbing. I saw a couple horses with "blankets" and one that got hooded (I only watched three races), but everything was very calm and orderly. The only squirrely part is that the assistant starters (not sure what they call them in England) do NOT stay in the gate with the horses, but instead duck under the front of the gate and RUN to the side of the track. Don't know who the poor soul is that ends up loading the last horse, but they certainly have to sprint out of there.

Glimmerglass, maybe you know - was Monty Roberts brought in as a consultant on helping them devise how to load safely? I was told that today, and I haven't been able to confirm it.

[Linny]

Ward's Strike the Tiger won the Windsor Castle S making him the first ever US trained runner to win at Royal Ascot. He broke his maiden in a MDCL at Churchill.
I think that Ward rode at Ascot (not sure if it was the Royal Meeting) when he was a jockey.

[Glimmerglass]

Sadly I wasn't able to see this race on TVG as I was away on business.

Video replay: TVG (on youtube.com) @ 1 min 31 sec (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3SduxieuoQ)

However Cannonball *might* be back again at Ascot (http://www.drf.com/news/article/104699.html) ... no, not next year as per say, but rather this weekend!

Saturday could also see the quick reappearance of the Ward-trained Cannonball in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes. Earlier on Tuesday, Cannonball made up a lot of ground late to finish sixth behind Australian raider Scenic Blast in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes. A New York-bred son of Catienus, Cannonball trailed through the first half-mile of the six-furlong sprint but was running best of all at the end. Beaten 5 1/2 lengths by the winner, Cannonball would benefit by the added furlong of the Golden Jubilee.

[texang73]

Wow, nice race by Scenic Blast... and a what a lovely looking fellow he is!!

[Glimmerglass]

Another Ward trainee - Aegean - expected to take the Group 3 Albany Stakes for fillies at Ascot just didn't make it happen this morning. She went off as the clear favorite (5-2) but was all over the wide course with Johnny Velazquez up.

The At The Races guys were saying it was madness that Aegean went off at 5-2 and not 20-1. "Only because the Americans have had some success in the meet" was the thinking of the wagering public. Never went the distance before and never had raced on turf before. Yes a graded stakes winner but on the Churchill Downs dirt.

Interesting Ward had said Aegean was "better" then Jealous Again who was victorious at Ascot.

[Glimmerglass]

I was yelling at the tv this morning watching Cannonball making a late charge - and in a perfect position - in his quick turnaround run for the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes ... he missed snatching victory by "this much".

ESPN June 20 09 "Jubilee: Ward runner just misses" (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=4274614)

Cannonball suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the Group 1, $742,000 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday as the 20-1 longshot Art Connoisseur held him safe by a neck to land a sizzling hot renewal of the six-furlong sprint. The last of Wesley Ward's seven Royal Meeting runners turned in the best effort of his life, however, as he had the champion sprinters from South Africa and Hong Kong toiling behind him.
Cannonball's performance was all the more remarkable in that he was running on just four days' rest after having closed nicely to finish sixth in Tuesday's five-furlong King's Stand Stakes. He is no stranger to quick turnarounds, however, as he had finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park two year's ago, five days after having won an ungraded stakes at Belmont Park.

It was great to see the big red "R" of the Ramsey stables at Ascot.

Video replay 2009 Golden Jubilee Stakes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJRpKC5e5lo) in an asian dialect

Video the field warming up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM5zRGRh3bc) .. J J The Jet Plane (oddly enough the same name of horse I have to ride tomrrow in an event) was very animated getting to the track!

[alspharmd]

American-trained horses are rather rare: the last American-trained runner at Royal Ascot was the Jeff Mullins horse Mighty Beau, who finished fifth in the King's Stand Stakes in 2005.

Is this the same Mighty Beau that was euthanized at Penn National last year after breaking down in a $4k claimer? How sad :(

[Glimmerglass]

Regarding Cannonball and further int'l racing (http://drf.com/news/article/104919.html) - June 23:

Wesley Ward had briefly flirted with the idea of keeping Cannonball at Newmarket for the July Cup on July 10, but decided that that six-furlong Group 1 came too soon after his two races at Royal Ascot. The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Santa Anita's downhill turf course on Nov. 7 and the six-furlong Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Dec. 13 are now his preferred goals.