Across the pond

[BaroqueAgain1]

1) A straight mile has its own set of challenges, like where you are on the track. Do you move your horse across the track, which makes your horse cover slightly more ground, because one side of the course seems to playing faster? A straight course still requires a horse to change leads in order to conserve energy but, without turns, you need a horse to be extra-responsive to the rider's cues.
2) IMO, an assistant starter in the stall can be essential in keeping both horse and rider safe. I noticed that Ascot had assistants inside for a few of the more fractious runners, so it looks like they've decided to be flexible on that.
I also saw that the assistant starters were very prompt removing the blindfolds, which may have been influenced by the outrage from a recent incident when a filly tossed her rider right out of the gate, with her blindfold still on...and she suffered fatal injuries running blinded
IMHO, Britain relies too heavily on blinding their runners, and an accident like that was just waiting to happen.
3) Well, Wesley Ward brought in David Flores, who has ridden winners internationally, to replace the injured Dettori on a couple of his runners. IIRC, Johnnie V. and Joe Rosario have had success at Royal Ascot, but I don't know if any L/H jocks have moved their tack to Europe for a full season.
4) Don't know. But Joseph O'Brien finally grew past it.

[Northport]

TVG interviewed Wesley this morning and he said that the crossing guards had stopped traffic while the filly was crossing a road after her workout. The bicyclist plowed through and ran into her hindquarters, causing her to lose her balance. She got some superficial abrasions, but passed her vet check today and should be able to run tomorrow.
Ray Paulick tweeted: Wesley Ward, when asked on TV about condition of bike rider who ran into his Royal Ascot runner Princess Peggy. "He's lucky I wasn't there."

Is it wrong that I was kind of miffed that the cyclist "was fine afterwards" after ploughing into and knocking down a horse on a paved road equipped with lights and crossing guards. Maybe just a little sprained wrist would be a adequate reminder.

Sorry, I like horses more than people.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Me, too. In fact, I think the line forming behind the 'like horses (or any animal) more than people' sign has grown far longer than the 'like people' one.
Especially lately.

[BaroqueAgain1]

The upcoming Commonwealth Cup should be a corker. While I'd love to see Ward's Bound For Nowhere do well for the US, my heart is with the striking Caravaggio. He not only might be the one to carry on Scat Daddy's legacy, he is out of a Holy Bull mare. Quite a pedigree.

[carole]

Caravaggio for Scat Daddy! Scat Daddy's 4th Royal Ascot winner this meeting and 2nd Group 1 winner! What a loss he was, but this horse could be his heir!

[BaroqueAgain1]

When I saw Caravaggio run last year, I thought he was black. But he's officially a grey (thank his grand dad), and this year those grey hairs are finally starting to show in his tail and on his handsome, chiselled head.
In the NBCSN interview with Aiden O'Brien after the race, he said that the colt had been clocked at 45 mph on the Ballydoyle gallops, and that '...he's a very fast horse.' Y'think?
If everyone stays healthy, there may be a good chance we'll see the blazing-fast colt at Del Mar for the BC, which could create the best match-up of that weekend; Caravaggio vs. Lady Aurelia, Scat Daddy's best son against his best daughter.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Welp, it sounds like that match-up isn't what Coolmore has planned. Just heard something about Caravaggio maybe heading Down Under for The Everest.

[Treve]

Aiden O'Brien 1-2-3 in the Coronation

[carole]

Winter is such a good filly! 3 consecutive Group 1's including 2 classics! Wonder where they'll take her from here, I'd assume the Sun Chariot at the end of the year would be the target

[BaroqueAgain1]

The 1 3/4-mile Queen's Vase has a couple of well-bred Deep Impacts; Wisconsin out of Peeping Fawn, and Fierce Impact, out of Keiai Gerbera (Smarty Jones.).
It's nice to see that Sunday Silence blood show up at Ascot, amidst all the Galileos and Dubawis.

[Treve]

The 1 3/4-mile Queen's Vase has a couple of well-bred Deep Impacts; Wisconsin out of Peeping Fawn, and Fierce Impact, out of Keiai Gerbera (Smarty Jones.).
It's nice to see that Sunday Silence blood show up at Ascot, amidst all the Galileos and Dubawis.

Wisconsin had his own idea today

ETA: Beautiful win for Sea the Stars today, Stradivarius ran like a very nice colt

[BaroqueAgain1]

Wisconsin ran like a horse who has never gone around a track clockwise.
I'm pretty sure that isn't the case, so it's more likely the handsome colt is just a headcase.

[carole]

Yay for Stradivarius! 2nd Royal Ascot win for Sea The Stars this year

[Treve]

Another Deep Impact will be running, a filly against colts in the next one. (September I think her name is)
They mentioned she was Aiden O'Brien's only first out winning 2yo this year.

[Treve]

A win for Deep Impact at Royal Ascot! September ran spectacularly well.

Learn by Heart (I believe owned by HRM the Queen) by Frankel out of Memory didn't fire.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Great run by September, who is a full sister to yesterday's wayward Wisconsin. No turns to trouble this little gal running up the straight mile.

[ThreeMustangs]

A win for Deep Impact at Royal Ascot! September ran spectacularly well.

Learn by Heart (I believe owned by HRM the Queen) by Frankel out of Memory didn't fire.

Learn By Heart is owned by the Queen, but she was a non-runner.

[Treve]

A win for Deep Impact at Royal Ascot! September ran spectacularly well.

Learn by Heart (I believe owned by HRM the Queen) by Frankel out of Memory didn't fire.

Learn By Heart is owned by the Queen, but she was a non-runner.

Ah I didn't catch that, thanks, they were still talking about her at the time I got up from my computer then came back just in time to see the race.

[BaroqueAgain1]

I saw that Ballydoyle sent three mares to Japan to breed to Deep Impact; Peeping Fawn, Maybe and another I can't remember. The mares spent 2013 and 2014 there, which is why we have full siblings like Wisconsin and September.

[Treve]

Coolmore and Godolphin now tied for number of wins per owner at the meet...