Ward stays hot at Royal Ascot with Jealous Again; France's Vision d'Etat wins

Ward stays hot at Royal Ascot with Jealous Again; France's

Vision d'Etat wins

Jealous Again left her rivals green with envy after taking the Queen Mary (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com) One day after saddling the first American-based winner in the illustrious history of Royal Ascot, trainer Wesley Ward struck again on Day 2 with JEALOUS AGAIN (Trippi) in the Queen Mary S. (Eng-G2) for juvenile fillies. Runner-up in the Kentucky Juvenile S. (G2) in her previous outing, the bay filly sprinted clear from her rivals after the break and was never threatened en route to a five-length decision under John Velazquez. "She ran brilliantly," Ward exclaimed. "I'm very proud of her, Johnny rode a great race and everything went just like we thought." Misheer (Oasis Dream [GB]), who entered Wednesday's five-furlong event off a victory in the Marygate S. at York, took runner-up honors behind Jealous Again and was followed under the wire by two other previously unbeaten fillies, Ceedwell (Exceed and Excel) and Capercaillie (Elusive Quality). Ward sent out Strike the Tiger (Tiger Ridge), who was exiting a maiden claiming victory at Churchill Downs, to win Tuesday's Windsor Castle S. for two-year-olds, and he's got three more juveniles slated to compete in upcoming races during the Royal Meeting. Keeneland maiden winner Yogaroo (Bring the Heat) will run in Thursday's Norfolk S. (Eng-G2); Churchill maiden winner Honor in Peace (Peace Rules) is set for Saturday's Chesham S.; and the unbeaten Aegean (Northern Afleet), who knocked off Jealous Again in the Kentucky Juvenile, will be one of the favorites in Friday's Albany S. (Eng-G3).

"In America, we train for speed and the reason I came over here was I thought

the others in the race are trained to go on for next year," Ward explained. "I

just thought I'd get a jump on the other trainers over here. Your horses are

bred to go longer and ours are bred for speed and it worked out today."

Ward also saddled multiple stakes victor Cannonball (Catienus) to a

fast-finishing sixth in Tuesday's five-furlong King's Stand S. (Eng-G1) at Royal

Ascot and is expected to wheel the four-year-old gelding back in Saturday's

Golden Jubilee S. (Eng-G1) at six furlongs.

Jealous Again was bet down to 13-2 from her 16-1 morning line. Following her

victory, Ward paid tribute to jockey Rene Douglas, who was scheduled to come

over and ride all of his horses before being paralyzed in a racing accident at

Arlington Park on May 23.

"One thing I would like to say is that Rene Douglas was scheduled to come

here to ride them and he was so excited about it," the conditioner said. "I feel

so bad that he's not here."

In the afternoon's biggest event, the Prince of

Wales's S. (Eng-G1) for older horses, French raider VISION D'ETAT (Chichiscastenango)

rallied to the front in deep stretch and gamely out-finished favored Tartan

Bearer (Spectrum) for a half-length decision in the 1 1/4-mile affair. Winner of

the 2008 French Derby (Fr-G1), the Eric Libaud-trained colt was exiting a win in

the April 26 Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) at Longchamp. Olivier Peslier had the mount.

"He is a better horse this year and has grown

into himself," said Libuad, who was saddling his first runner at Royal Ascot.

"The (October 4) Arc (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe [Fr-G1]) was always going to be his target

this year and that is where he will go. He will have a break first and then go

for a prep race in the (September 13) Prix Foy (Fr-G2). The crop this year doesn't look as good

(as last year) and he must go to the Arc with a very good chance."

Tartan Bearer, who finished second in last

year's Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), gave a fine account of himself in his second start

of the season. The Sir Michael Stoute runner captured the April 25 Gordon

Richards S. (Eng-G3) at Sandown Park off a 10-month layoff.

"He ran well and I'm making no excuses for him,"

Stoute commented.

French runner Never on Sunday (Sunday Break [Jpn]),

winner of the May 17 Prix d'Ispahan (Fr-G1) at Longchamp, finished another head

back in third.

David and Patricia Thompson's Cheveley Park Stud

dominated the Windsor Forest S. (Eng-G2) as SPACIOUS (Nayef) and Heaven Sent

(Pivotal) finished one-two in the one-mile test for fillies and mares. With

jockey Johnny Murtagh taking the reins for trainer James Fanshawe, Spacious set

the pace and repulsed the more highly regarded Heaven Sent, who tracked

throughout and made a serious run at her in the final furlong, by a length.

"There didn't look to be an obvious front

runner, so Johnny felt he would go out there and make it and he had a nice

lead," Fanshawe said. "It was a hell of a battle with Heaven Sent. Obviously, my

ex-boss (Stoute who trains Heaven Sent) won't be happy, but it's great for us as

our filly has been a bit disappointing since the Guineas last year."

Spacious finished second in the 2008 English One

Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) but had dropped four starts versus stakes

rivals since that notable performance. The four-year-old filly finished third

when making her 2009 bow in the June 6 Princess Elizabeth S. (Eng-G3) at Epsom.

Heaven Sent, who opened her six-year-old season with a second consecutive

victory in May 3 Dahlia S. (Eng-G3) at Newmarket, grabbed runner-up honors for the

second straight year in the Windsor Forest.

Three-time Group 1 queen Lush Lashes (Galileo

[Ire]) faltered in the final quarter-mile and checked in sixth as the 6-4

favorite.

Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's OUQBA (Red Ransom) opened Wednesday's

program at Royal Ascot with a victory in the Jersey S. (Eng-G3) for

three-year-olds. Dismissed at 12-1 by the local crowd, the Barry Hills trainee

overcame a poor start to record an authoritative half-length decision in the

seven-furlong event under Tadhg O'Shea. Ouqba opened his 2009 campaign with a

victory in the April 15 European Free H. at Newmarket and rebounded from a 11th-place

finish in the English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) on May 2.

"Obviously, he won very convincingly (in the

Free), but the Two Thousand Guineas came too quick for him," said Charlie

Hills, assistant and son to the winning trainer.

In Wednesday's other races, MONEYCANTBUYMELOVE (Pivotal) registered her

second second straight stakes win when posting a two-length score in the

Sandringham H. for three-year-old fillies, and

FORGOTTEN VOICE (Danehill Dancer) prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths as the 4-1 choice

over 24 rivals in the Royal Hunt Cup Heritage H.