Last month's G2 Queen Mary S. winner Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) has thrived since returning to America and could work on the turf at Keeneland in the next 10 days, according to trainer Wesley Ward. The 2-year-old filly, one of the most impressive winners at Royal Ascot, is set to return to Europe for the G1 Prix Morny in France Aug. 21.
“She is doing beautiful and we're hoping to take her to Keeneland in the next 10 days to work her on the grass,” the conditioner said. “They don't usually open up the turf course at Keeneland for work during the summer, but they've done it in the past for horses like Wise Dan, and Acapulco went there last year, and they've been good enough to allow Lady Aurelia to go there as well. I'm very grateful. We'll take her there and she'll be ready for the Morny after that.”
While Lady Aurelia remains nominated for York's G1 Nunthorpe S. Aug. 19, Ward reaffirmed the Morny is a more likely target.
“We'll keep all options open,” Ward said. “She's certainly nominated for the race, and we'll have a look at it nearer the time. But I've said before, she's a different type of filly to Acapulco, who is a big bruiser.”
Acapulco (Scat Daddy), Lady Aurelia's stable companion who won last year's Queen Mary en route to a second-place finish in the Nunthorpe, is on track for that sprint after being ruled out of Royal Ascot due to the soft going.
“That's what we're aiming at,” Ward said. “The ground was a little too testing for her [at Ascot], but she should be spot-on for the Nunthorpe.”
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