Lucci

NEWMARKET, UK--Since 2009, Wesley Ward has made Royal Ascot an annual pilgrimage, both for his horses and his family. The enduring and endearing repetition of that first visit is the presence of the now 14-year-old Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge), Ward's first of 11 Royal Ascot winners, who is now a much valued stable pony and has accompanied his team to Newmarket. The trainer was in his customary relaxed mood on Wednesday morning at Newmarket's National Stud, where his team has been based on his visits to England over the...

1st-Belmont, $83,700, Msw, 5-9, 2yo, 5fT, :56.92, fm, 3 lengths. LUCCI (c, 2, Not This Time--Lucky'stormwarning, by Lookin At Lucky) showed a sharp Keeneland worktab for this unveiling, capped by a half-mile breeze in :47 3/5 (4/23) Apr. 28, and was made a fractional 5-4 favorite. Breaking sweetly from his rail draw, the $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy quickly scampered clear and showed the way through a modest :22.92 quarter. Pressured harder by Speak Unity (Union Rags) as the pace picked up past a :45.32 half, Lucci stiff-armed that rival...