Royal Ascot 2026: A look at the U.S. runners

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Team USA will have several chances to beat the British at their most prestigious festival, Royal Ascot.

Trainer Wesley Ward, who is single-handedly responsible for 12 of the 14 U.S. winners at the meeting, returns with a seven-strong squad after missing last year. George Weaver, also on the Royal Ascot honor roll, sends out a contender who ran well here in 2025. Patrick Biancone has a filly with a similar profile to one who placed a year ago, and British expat Tom Morley hopes to spring an upset. 

Overview of Team USA roster 

Ward’s team is spearheaded by three-year-old Outfielder in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup (G1). Later on the same day, Ward’s other sophomore entrant, Bacio, and Weaver’s Sandal’s Song are due to square off in the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 

But most of the American runners are juvenile fillies, including five from the Ward barn.

Ward has been most prolific in Wednesday’s Queen Mary (G2), the five-furlong dash for two-year-old fillies. He’s won four times – with Jealous Again (2009), Acapulco (2015), Lady Aurelia (2016), and Campanelle (2020) – and four more trainees have finished second. 

At this writing, Ruiva, Fanshell Beach, and Shining Moment are expected to try to add to his Queen Mary record. Also bound for the Queen Mary are Morley’s More Champagne, who beat Shining Moment on debut, and Biancone’s Celtic Dispute, here by way of Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm Juvenile. 

Ward is reportedly pitching Ez Tina against the boys in next Saturday’s Norfolk (G2), the “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). Stablemate Through the Years is also likely to contest the Norfolk, mainly because her Coolmore-affiliated connections have others set for the Queen Mary. But watch for confirmation of plans when the final declarations come out, 48 hours ahead of raceday.

Before diving into the horses, it must be noted that Ward endured a few lackluster years in a row here prior to his 2025 absence. His last winner was promoted via disqualification in 2021, his best result in 2022 was a dead-heat third, and all his runners were well beaten in 2023 and 2024. 

What might restore Ward’s fortunes in 2026? He’s back at the National Stud in Newmarket, after trying a couple of other bases. 

"We’ve been here four or five times in the past,” Ward’s assistant trainer, Blake Heap, told RacingPost.com. “Lady Aurelia was here in the corner box, and Campanelle and Golden Pal were the same year. We’ve had pretty good success out of this yard.  This is a nice place, and we’ve been lucky here in the past. Everything is right here, the town, the gallops and the July course. It couldn’t be easier.”

Golden Pal didn’t win at Royal Ascot, but he went close in the 2020 Norfolk. Now the highly touted freshman sire will try to get on the scoreboard via his daughters Ez Tina, Shining Moment, and More Champagne. It would be quite a storyline if Golden Pal can furnish a first-crop Royal Ascot winner, especially for Ward.

Ruiva and Fanshell Beach romped on the Churchill main track

Ruiva has emerged as Ward’s top candidate for the Queen Mary. The Three Chimneys Farm homebred wired her April 29 debut on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, pulling away by seven lengths while clocking 4 1/2 furlongs in :51.70. Runner-up Barometric, her only real pursuer who tried to take a run at her on the far turn, came back to win at Presque Isle Downs. 

The surface switch should not be an issue for Ruiva, who keeps Juan Hernandez aboard. By Munnings, the same sire as Ward’s classy Kimari (a two-time Royal Ascot runner-up including in the 2019 Queen Mary), Ruiva has reportedly worked well on turf. 

The question is whether Ruiva’s maiden win might have been inflated by the conditions. Munnings is a 17% mud sire, and Ruiva is out of a mare by 18% mud sire Curlin. In any event, she’s a promising prospect from the immediate family of 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam and Hall of Famer Gun Runner. 

Stablemate Fanshell Beach is the only “TDN Rising Star” among the U.S. juveniles at Royal Ascot. Another 4 1/2-furlong debut winner at Churchill April 28, she wasn’t the cleanest away from her outside post. But the 1.44-1 second choice soon advanced into pace-pressing mode, took over, and romped by 5 1/4 lengths in a final time of :51.42. Booked, a belated second at even-money, came back to win June 7 at Saratoga.

Fanshell Beach was an $80,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Hat Creek Racing. The May 7 foal is from the first crop of Corniche, the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion. Corniche never raced on turf, but he has the genes for it, as a son of Quality Road and the multiple Grade 2-winning turf mare Wasted Tears. Fanshell Beach is herself out of the multiple Cal-bred stakes winner Pacific Heat, an Unusual Heat mare who was effective on both turf and dirt. 

With that pedigree, Fanshell Beach might want to go farther than five furlongs already. But she’ll get every chance with budding Australian star Zac Lloyd in the saddle. 

Rematch on tap for More Champagne and Shining Moment

Fellow Ward trainee Shining Moment is a Golden Pal half-sister to the prolific turf sprinter Coppola, a multiple stakes-winning millionaire and course record-setter at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Churchill. The $120,000 Keeneland September yearling races for Qatar Racing, Breeze Easy, and Riley James Ward.

Shining Moment went off as the odds-on favorite in her April 24 debut on the Keeneland turf, only to be pressed by a rival into going too hard early. When Shining Moment ran out of steam in the stretch, she was completely overpowered by another Golden Pal filly, the 6.62-1 More Champagne.

Trained by Morley for StarLadies Racing, U Racing Stables, and Titletown Racing Stables, More Champagne was bought for $100,000 at OBS in March. She provided a quick dividend in this eye-catching debut.

More Champagne tracked the contested pace, adroitly exploited the seam that opened up between the speedsters on the turn, and won for fun by 6 1/2 lengths. She polished off 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.38 and appeared ready to keep going.

Thus it’s not entirely surprising that More Champagne was also given an entry in Friday’s six-furlong Albany (G3), although the Queen Mary remains her focus. Her performance was arguably more impressive than the maiden win by Morley’s only previous Royal Ascot shipper, Cynane, who wound up 10th in the 2023 Queen Mary. 

Shining Moment broke her maiden next time out at Churchill May 21, benefiting from her experience as well as the slight cutback to five furlongs.  She still went fast early, but she maintained her momentum to the wire in :56.75. 

It’s worth wondering if Shining Moment can ration out her speed effectively enough to last five furlongs on Ascot’s straightaway. She picks up a champion jockey in Oisin Murphy, presumably because of the Qatar Racing affiliation. 

Celtic Dispute brings the Royal Palm angle

Christophe Soumillon will take the ride on Celtic Dispute, whom Biancone described as a “rocket ship” when speaking to Gulfstream publicity. She has a profile reminiscent of his Lennilu, who similarly earned her ticket in a Royal Palm race and placed third in the Queen Mary last summer.

Indeed, the Royal Palm events have had an impact every year since their 2023 inaugural, when Crimson Advocate turned the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies/Queen Mary double. The past two winners of the Royal Palm Juvenile have both placed at the festival – Gabaldon was a close second in the 2024 Windsor Castle S., and Sandal’s Song was third in last year’s Norfolk. 

Like Lennilu, Celtic Dispute is a Florida-bred by the classy turf sprinter Leinster, himself a half-brother to two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) champion Stormy Liberal. Both Lennilu and Celtic Dispute debuted on dirt before switching to turf. While Lennilu won in the Keeneland slop, Celtic Dispute lost her first start. The 4-5 favorite in her Gulfstream Park unveiling, Celtic Dispute showed speed on the rail, got hounded by Boots, and succumbed by three lengths. 

Unlike Lennilu, Celtic Dispute competed in the Royal Palm Juvenile against males rather than the fillies’ version. But the one to beat was another filly, Ward’s 9-10 favorite Skara Brae. This time, Celtic Dispute played the role of outside stalker, scrimmaged with Skara Brae in a stretch-long tussle, and just prevailed. Her five-furlong time of :56.17 was faster than the companion fillies’ race (:56.58).

The caveat is that the resemblance between Celtic Dispute and Lennilu could be more superficial than real. Lennilu was a more precocious type, according to Biancone, and Celtic Dispute stands to improve with maturity.

Celtic Dispute was purchased by Dew Sweepers for $90,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling. The well-named filly is out of Bert’s Altercation by Bertrando, from a productive Chilean family that in recent years has produced multiple graded stakes winner Consumer Spending. 

Ez Tina, Through the Years sired by Ward’s Norfolk alumni 

Ward has won the Norfolk twice, with No Nay Never (2013) in juvenile course-record time and with the filly Shang Shang Shang (2018). Ward’s brilliant colt Golden Pal came up a neck shy in 2020, and he’ll try to make amends through his daughter, Ez Tina.

The most expensive of Golden Pal’s first-crop yearlings, Ez Tina commanded $600,000 at Keeneland September. She races for Shang Shang Shang’s owner, Breeze Easy, in partnership with Resolution Road Stables. 

Ez Tina is out of an Into Mischief mare who is herself a half to three stakes winners. Chief among them is Dr B, a two-time winner of the Go for Wand (G3) around Aqueduct’s one-turn mile

Dispatched as the 1.25-1 favorite in her Woodbine premiere May 17, Ez Tina lived up to her name by winning very easily. She sped straight to the lead and never faced a real question in a 4 3/4-length stroll. Track announcer Robert Geller summed it up “as easy as you like…could’ve won by a lot more” as she clocked five furlongs on Tapeta in :58.01.

One concern is that Ez Tina was “antsy in the stall,” the chart reports, before she broke cleanly. She can’t afford any miscue in the gate here.

Another possible question is that Ez Tina “scratched her leg a little bit,” Heap told sportinglife.com. “We are having to keep an eye on that. It has not healed up completely, but it doesn’t seem to have bothered her.”

File that in the category of something that might be meaningless, or the sort of thing you wish you’d known beforehand. The vibe is certainly positive in light of her recent work.

“She worked awesome on the turf on Tuesday,” Heap added, “and she outworked Outfielder, which was a good effort."

Stablemate Through the Years will try to emulate her outstanding sire No Nay Never in this spot. Out of an Invincible Spirit mare, the Irish-bred is in the Coolmore orbit through co-owners Mrs. John Magnier, Mrs. M.V. Magnier, and Linda Shanahan. 

Through the Years was unlucky not to win first time out at Keeneland April 23, when mugged on the line as the favorite in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden. She wasn’t the quickest out of gate, and got bumped, but she was fast enough to dash to the lead. Apparently in complete control until tiring late, Through the Years was also the victim of overconfident pilot error. That passivity allowed Tolstoy to rally furiously to nip her.

Next time going the same trip at Aqueduct, Through the Years blasted to a new course record in 1:02.62. She still didn’t break smoothly, ducking to her right from post 1. And once she was straightened up, she was far too aggressive before she was persuaded to relax a bit in front.

Through the Years will have to ration her energy better. Her placement here was reportedly dependent upon the plans for others, and a French option was also on the table at one point. 

Outfielder seeks home run for Jayson Werth

In 2015, Ward won the Diamond Jubilee (G1) with Undrafted, a name evocative of co-owner and former NFL player Wes Welker. Now the eponymous Outfielder, co-owned by retired MLB star Jayson Werth, could achieve a similar feat in the Commonwealth Cup.

But in another sense, the parallel doesn’t fit because Outfielder is a fashionably-bred colt rather than a blue-collar gelding like Undrafted. The $850,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling has the pedigree, being by Speightstown and out of the stakes-winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Notte d’Oro. And he has claims on his lone international foray as a juvenile.

Sporting the colors of principal owner AMO Racing, Outfielder was named a “TDN Rising Star” for his sensational debut as a juvenile at Churchill Downs. He scorched five grassy furlongs in :55.93, just off Power Alert’s course record of :55.17. Outfielder had Royal Ascot prospect stamped all over him, only to come up with a shin issue that kept him home. 

Later in the summer, Outfielder did ship to Deauville for the Prix Morny (G1), where the combination of a layoff and lack of experience told against him. Still, in the circumstances, he was a fine fourth to top filly Venetian Sun, Ballydoyle celebrity Gstaad, and Wise Approach, the eventual Middle Park (G1) winner.

Outfielder returned home to win a promising dirt experiment at Keeneland. Unfortunately, his attempt to stretch out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) was a debacle, and he tired to last behind Gstaad.

Sticking to sprinting this term, Outfielder is 2-for-2. He wired the March 21 Animal Kingdom S. on the Turfway Tapeta and reveled back on the Churchill turf in the May 9 William Walker S. Outfielder had the tactical speed to stay in striking distance of a tearaway leader and the power to keep kicking late. His time was a stakes-record 1:01.36, not far off the 5 1/2-furlong course mark of 1:00.91 set by Nobals.

His Morny conqueror, Venetian Sun, is the early favorite for the Commonwealth Cup, but Outfielder has every right to bridge the gap in their rematch. He’s in a totally different zone from his previous European venture. Ward has called him “lazy,” so it might not pay to read too much into Ez Tina’s outworking him. 

Sandal’s Song, Bacio battle in the Palace

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is just a five-furlong handicap that serves as the Friday finale, but it could well be the launching pad to bigger things in the sprint division for these sophomores. 

Sandal’s Song returns to the same course and five-furlong trip where he was a game third in last year’s Norfolk. Like former stablemate Crimson Advocate, the Weaver pupil earned his way into the 2025 festival by winning a Royal Palm event at Gulfstream. 

A debut winner of the Royal Palm Juvenile for Dew Sweepers (Celtic Dispute’s connections), Sandal’s Song was snapped up by Qatari-based powerhouse Wathnan Racing. He performed well in his new silks in the Norfolk, taking up a prominent position and battling well to hold third. Although no match for Ballydoyle’s hot favorite Charles Darwin, Sandal’s Song just lost second late by three-quarters of a length to Wise Approach.

Entered for a homecoming in the Skidmore at Saratoga, Sandal’s Song scratched and did not resurface until the April 19 Palisades S. at Keeneland. He appeared understandably ring-rusty, anchored far back after a bumpy start and improving mildly in the stretch for sixth. 

Sandal’s Song turned in a much more representative effort next time in the William Walker. He rallied to snatch second behind Outfielder and reversed the form with the top two from the Palisades, Reb Five and Throckmorton. 

As a son of Mendelssohn, Sandal’s Song doesn’t figure to have peaked at two. Between last summer’s Norfolk and his latest at Churchill, he has been facing Commonwealth Cup contenders. He should be competitive in the handicap ranks here, at a festival of the utmost importance to his Wathnan connections.

We’d have a better gauge of Ward’s speed machine Bacio if he had drawn into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, but he was unable to move up from the also-eligible list.

The son of Maclean’s Music and the stakes-winning Kantharos mare Katie’s Kiss was a sharp debut winner on the Monmouth Park dirt last year. Switched to turf for the Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita, Bacio posted a blistering half-mile in :44.15 and just got caught late by Later Than Planned. 

MyRacehorse then bought into him, and he hasn’t lost since. In an allowance over Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar, Bacio shot clear early and drew off by 5 1/4 lengths. Third-placer Rogue Legend had placed in a few stakes, including the Windsor Castle, and he was himself a Breeders’ Cup also-eligible.

Not seen again until April 28 at Churchill, Bacio beat elders in a swift :55.67 for five furlongs. But Mischievous Rogue was gaining on him late, and the pure speedball might find the straight five furlongs a tougher challenge.