Kentucky Downs International Scouting Report: Ancient Rome

British-based Ancient Rome is well known to fans of Kentucky Downs, as the hero of the 2023 Mint Millions (G3) who was seventh in his 2024 title defense. The Charlie Hills veteran was in better form back then, but there are three reasons to forecast improvement in Sunday’s Tapit S. 

Glorious Goodwood angle

First, Ancient Rome hinted that he could be rediscovering some of his old spark when fourth in a heritage handicap at Glorious Goodwood in his latest. Stalking the pace on the inside, the 33-1 shot briefly awaited room, offered a short-lived burst, and flattened out. The mile’s final time of 1:35.66 was considerably faster than par for the course, and according to the time index on racingtv.com, it also was well above the meeting average.

The winner of that lucrative “Golden Mile,” Archivist, has since come back to dominate the Strensall (G3) at York’s Ebor Festival. The Sept. 12 Woodbine Mile (G1), a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), is next for the exciting Wathnan Racing runner.

Aside from the form and time angles, it’s worth mentioning that Glorious Goodwood also served as Ancient Rome’s springboard to victory in the Mint Millions. In 2023, he won a 1 1/4-mile handicap en route to cutting back in trip at Kentucky Downs. Note that Ancient Rome hasn’t won since those back-to-back scores three years ago, but the similar itinerary suggests that he can turn in another creditable effort here. 

Khaadem precedent

Second, Hills rejuvenated another old warrior apparently past his prime, Khaadem, during his Kentucky sojourn just last summer. The parallel isn’t exact, since Khaadem was competing at a much higher level than Ancient Rome, who’s been confined to British handicap company since resurfacing at his home base in 2025. 

Still, it’s instructive that Hills was able to get Khaadem back into the groove with the same change of scenery, and for the same owner, Mrs. Fitri Hay. Like Ancient Rome, Khaadem also had prior course form as the runner-up in the 2024 Kentucky Turf Sprint (G2). Khaadem had gone off the boil in big British sprints in 2025, but the nine-year-old sprang back to life with a third in the Kentucky Turf Sprint. More remarkably, Khaadem went on to win the Woodford (G2) at Keeneland and placed third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). 

Ancient Rome has been in decline redolent of his namesake, but compared to Khaadem’s age, he could still have some time left on the clock as a seven-year-old. The precedent exists for a Kentucky stint to work wonders, and for Bluegrass-bred Ancient Rome, it counts as a homecoming of sorts. 

Back class of a Group 1 campaigner 

Third, Ancient Rome is in a realistic spot in the Tapit, which is restricted to horses who have not won a stakes in 2026. The 1 1/16-mile affair is as competitive as you’d expect for a $500,000 pot, with several graded-caliber rivals. But it probably doesn’t have the strength in depth of the $2 million Mint Millions on Labor Day. 

Ancient Rome has the back class if he can summon it. Initially trained by Andre Fabre for the Coolmore partners and Westerberg, the son of War Front was a Group 3-winning juvenile who placed in a pair of Group 1s. Ancient Rome finished third in the 2021 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) before just missing by a head in the Criterium International (G1). 

Fourth to future Breeders’ Cup Mile star Modern Games in the 2022 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) (G1), Ancient Rome was sidelined following a ninth in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (G1). He didn’t progress in the early part of his four-year-old season in 2023, and that’s when Hay acquired him.

Ancient Rome made a rapid return on investment when winning his first two starts for Hills. Upsetting the aforementioned handicap at Glorious Goodwood, he pulled off the Mint Millions coup including the Kentucky-bred money. 

During a 2024 campaign compressed into a handful of starts over the summer, Ancient Rome showed that he retained his ability. He missed by a half-length in Ascot’s Summer Mile (G2) to the talented Quddwah, and stepping back up to 1 1/4 miles for the Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs, he was a solid third to Godolphin’s globetrotting Nations Pride.

Ancient Rome wheeled back for the Mint Millions, but ran evenly in seventh, and he lost his way thereafter. That fall, he underwent wind surgery and a gelding operation. Those medical interventions didn’t appear to help him, at least judging by his forgettable 2025. 

Although Ancient Rome has yet to furnish a highlight in 2026, he has improved steadily from start to start. If the pattern holds, he’s sitting on a pretty useful race as an 8-1 shot with Ben Curtis.