At Keeneland’s 2022 September Yearling Sale, New York-based trainer Tom Morley selected a daughter of Omaha Beach with the hope of racing her nine months later during the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in England. The filly, Cynane, who sold for $250,000, will become Morley’s first Royal Ascot starter Wednesday when she competes in the Queen Mary (G2) for owners VinLaur Racing Stables, West Paces Racing and Rainbow’s End Racing Stable.

“When I saw this filly at the sale, she reminded me enormously of the fillies I’ve been seeing for years running in the Queen Mary, so I was incredibly keen to go down this route,” Morley told Karen M. Johnson of Bloodhorse.

Consigned by breeder Hinkle Farms, Cynane is out of Burning Arch, a winning daughter of Arch, and from the family of Grade 1 winners Pleasant Home, Point of Entry and Pine Island.

Cynane began her career May 11 at Belmont Park, winning her 5-furlong debut on turf by 2¾ lengths with Javier Castellano aboard. Castellano, who won this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont (G1), will ride Cynane in his Royal Ascot debut.

Horses with Keeneland racing and sales connections and other U.S.-based horses entered in the Wednesday and Thursday races at Royal Ascot are:

Wednesday, June 21

Race 1: Queen Mary (G2) (2-year-old fillies, 5 furlongs) at 9:30 a.m. • For Wesley Ward, Three Chimneys Farm’s Bundchen was second by a nose in her career debut at Keeneland on April 28. Joel Rosario will ride the daughter of Gun Runner.• Crimson Advocate, who opened her career April 26 with a third at Keeneland then won the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park on May 13, is trained by George Weaver. The Nyquist filly races for R. A. Hill Stable, Swinbank Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, RAP Racing, Chris Mara, BlackRidge Stables and Amy E. Dunne. She will be ridden by John Velazquez.• Cynane.• Another 2022 September Sale purchase is the Omaha Beach filly Launch, who sold to Michael Wilson, agent for Robert Aguiar, for $50,000. She was consigned by Bridie Harrison, agent for breeder Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds. Adrian Murray trains Launch for owner Giselle De Aguiar. She will be ridden by Kevin Stott.

Race 2: Kensington Palace Handicap (fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 1 mile) at 10:05 a.m.• At Keeneland’s 2020 January Horses of All Ages Sale, Jamie Railton Sales Agency paid $345,000 for the War Front yearling Lady Eros. Bred by Frank Hutchinson, she was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. David Howden and Partners own Lady Eros, a 4-year-old filly who is trained by John and Thady Gosden and will be ridden by Oisin Murphy.

Race 4: Prince of Wales’s (G1) (4-year-olds and up, 1¼ miles) at 11:20 a.m.• Classic Causeway has made three starts at Keeneland, finishing third in the 2021 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and unplaced in 2022 in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) and the Bryan Station (G3). Kenny McPeek trains the 4-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway for Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper Family Trust. Julien Leparoux will ride.

Thursday, June 22

Race 1: Norfolk (G2) (2-year-olds, 5 furlongs) at 9:30 a.m.• American Rascal, a colt by Curlin, is the first foal out of European superstar Lady Aurelia. For Stonestreet, Ward trained the daughter of Scat Daddy to win the 2016 Queen Mary (G2) and 2017 King’s Stand (G1) at Royal Ascot. She received the Cartier Racing Award as Europe’s 2-year-old filly of the year. American Rascal will be ridden by Joel Rosario.• George Weaver will send out No Nay Mets (IRE), who won the May 13 Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream by 3½ lengths in his debut. Frankie Dettori will ride.• AMO Racing, Rachel O’Callaghan and Giselle De Aguiar’s Valiant Force, a colt by Malibu Moon, is the graduate of two Keeneland sales. At the 2021 November Breeding Stock Sale, he was consigned as a weanling by Mill Ridge Sales, agent, and sold to J.R.L. 3 Racing for $75,000. Eaton Sales, agent, consigned him to the 2022 September Sale, where he sold to Robson Aguiar/Roger O’Callaghan for $100,000. Rossa Ryan will ride Valiant Force for trainer Adrian Murray.

Race 2: King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (3-year-olds, 1½ miles) at 10:05 a.m.• Bertinelli, a colt by Justify, sold to Lanni Bloodstock for $750,000 at the 2021 September Sale from the consignment of Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent. Bred by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt, he races for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Westerburg. Aidan O’Brien trains Bertinelli, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore. 

Race 4: Gold Cup (G1) (4-year-olds and up, 2½ miles) at 10:20 a.m.• Big Call, a 5-year-old gelding by Animal Kingdom, is a graduate of two Keeneland sales. Brookdale Sales, agent, consigned him as a weanling to the 2017 November Sale, where he sold for $65,000 to Springhouse Farm. Paramount Sales, agent, offered him at the 2018 September Sale. Big Call was bred by Spruce Lane Farm, Copper Beach Stables, Grand Cue Farm et al. Stephane Pasquier will ride for owner and trainer ChristopheFerland.

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