Guinevere Sells at Fasig-Tipton November Sale (The Royal Duet Partnership Concludes)

Guinevere from The Royal Duet bundle has sold at Keeneland for $90,000. 

We now say goodbye to our lovely Justify filly. Straight to Glory, the Cotai Glory sired colt (now a gelding) in the bundle has been retired.

And thus ends our The Royal Duet bundle.

Guinevere has 5 starts with two wins and a second. Ironically, her two wins came on dirt and her 3rd on synthetic. The two times she was run on turf (she was believed to be a turf horse), she finished last.

Best wishes on your future endeavors - whether it be breeding shed or track - Guinevere.  

The Royal Duet -- Guinevere and Straight to Glory -- are being Retired!

Our two horse package -- "The Royal Duet" -- so named because they were at one point being pointed to Royal Ascot, are both retiring. 

Guinevere 

Our lovely chestnut filly will be sold in the Keeneland sale. Our 3YO multiple winner by Justify, although she has found limited success on the track, is probably more valuable as a broodmare at this point. We'll post updates on her sale when we get them. 

Straight to Glory

On the other half of the package, a 3YO bay gelding, has had some difficulty with getting his career started and at this point, his trainer does not feel it would be effective to pursue a racing career any further. If it was an option, he would probably be running at a smaller track with lower level purses that would not cover his training costs. Our son of Cotai Glory showed a lot of promise and was a very exciting addition to our stable, but it seems that finding him a second career would be the best option at this point. MRH is looking into a second career for him now.

We will be marking The Royal Duet package as "Retired" very soon and moving their page down with our other retired, claimed or no longer owned horses. All of these non-active pages will be left on our site for the foreseeable future so we can post any further updates as we hear more. 

Guinevere Update - The Royal Duet

It's been awhile since we've done an updated on Guinevere (part of The Royal Duet) so this will catch up her latest news. 

Guinevere has won her last two starts by 2-3/4 lengths and 3 lengths respectively.

This was a 1-1/6 mile Maiden Special Weight 16K on August 2nd, and a 1 mile and 70 yards Allowance 18.3K on September 25th, both run at Belterra Park on dirt.

We expect her next start will be at Keeneland, but no date has been set. 

The update after her last race:

Guinevere has exited her race in good order and is back at Keeneland with trainer Wesley Ward. She will get back into training this week to prepare for what could be her third win in a row. She earned a career-best 66 Beyer Speed Figure and a copy of her updated lifetime past performances can be seen above. It's been a nice turn around for our daughter of Justify.

Update on 10/03/2024: (Which came with some surprising news)

In an effort to keep all options open, Guinevere was entered in the Keeneland November sale and that catalog was released today. Your daughter of Justify was cataloged as hip 1008, meaning if she were to sell, she would sell on Thursday, Nov. 7 as part of Book 2.

Please note that we have no concrete plans to sell her or not sell her at this time, and the immediate focus is to test the waters at Keeneland and see if she can grab a third-straight win. It is standard practice to enter fillies like her in the November sale to have that option and, again, absolutely nothing is set in stone.

Our take: This took us by surprise. Along it was stated this is common practice, we aren't sure if "test the waters" means they intend to place a reserve on Guinevere to see if she will bring a particular price, or if they have another plan in play. 

Guinevere is not owned outright by MRH, and has two other partners involved, including a major Kentucky farm. 

We shall see what we shall see in the coming month. 

Guinevere Works at Keeneland

Guinevere turned in an easy solo five furlong drill in 1:05 flat under exercise rider Julio Garcia this morning at Keeneland. The daughter of Justify went wide in the turn and wasn't asked for anything in the final stretch. 

We caught up with trainer Wesley Ward following the work who said he was pleased with what he saw. The current plan is to target a first-level allowance going one flat mile on the turf at Belterra Park on Sept. 20th or Sept. 25th. 

Guinevere should get in one to two works ahead of this target.

Guinevere Entered

Guinevere - who is part of our Royal Duet team - has been entered at Churchill Downs on May 9, Thursday, in a 1-1/8 mile MSW on turf. Abel Cedillo returns to the irons. Like a few of our other horses, she didn't seem to take to the Keeneland turf in the least, so we'll see how she fairs at Churchill. 

The details of her next start have been entered in the UPCOMING section above.  

GUINEVERE SCRATCHED MORNING OF RACE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVERNIGHT AT CHURCHILL DOWNS.

The Royal Duet (Straight to Glory) News

Straight to Glory (half of The Royal Duet package) has remained at Stonestreet Farm for the time being as trainer Wesley Ward wanted to allow the Keeneland Spring meet to wrap up before he shipped in. Ian Brennen of Stonestreet reported he should be able to get a van this weekend and we will follow up once he arrives in Kentucky.

Keeneland Panorama with Guinevere (The Royal Duet)

It was an absolutely beautiful Spring morning at Keeneland on the 29th, when Debbie Stuebe Lee captured this gorgeous shot of two horses exercising. The outside horse happens to be our Guinevere. 

She's scheduled to run on opening day this Saturday in R#10, where she'll be #3 in a huge field of 13 horses. (Her page is under The Royal Duet on this site, because she is paired with our Cotai Glory colt, Straight to Glory.) Her work partner is believed to have been Landed, a very nice NY bred by Omaha Beach out of Glory Gold by Medaglia d'Oro.

Spring morning at Keeneland - April 29, 2024
Guinevere (outside horse) exercising in tandem
Photo credits Debbie Stuebe Lee

Guinevere Pops a Bullet

Very nice 5F work this morning from our Justify daughter. 

Looks like Guinevere (The Royal Duet) may have worked in company with Landed, another trained by Ward who ran 2nd in the Maddie May Stakes at Aqueduct in February. Landed is Omaha Beach x Medalglia d'Oro.

Keeneland 3/29/2024 Dirt 5F 59.80 Breezing     1*/20

Straight to Glory Update - The Royal Duet

Straight to Glory is doing well since his recent gelding procedure at Stonestreet Farm. While this has caused him to miss a few weeks of breezes, farm trainer Ian Brennan reported he is ready to return to the work tab later this week. 

Before the gelding procedure, he had two half miles under him (both over the turf) and will return this week with an easy half mile. Pending a satisfactory breeze and he exits it in good order, the plan will be to ship him back to Wesley Ward at Keeneland. We should receive another report after his work, and if so, we'll post it on this site. [Photo from December at Stonestreet]

Guinevere (The Royal Duet) Runs a Bullet on a Wet Track at Keeneland This Morning!

Wow! Our daughter of Justify is flying. Here next start is anticipated to be April 5th. (See above)

Keeneland 3/15/2024 Dirt 5F 58.60 Breezing 1*/21

The Royal Duet - Guinevere Update

Guinevere had her first work back last Friday, March 8th, following her debut and covering five furlongs in 1:01 flat over Keeneland’s main track. Your daughter of Justify breezed on the inside of Bundchen, a fellow maiden 3-year-old filly, and always had the upper hand in this work. The Ward Team has remained pleased with your filly since her debut.

We are still targeting the aforementioned maiden special weight on opening day at Keeneland (April 5th) which will give her three additional works leading up to the race.

Straight To Glory Update

Straight to Glory (Cotai Glory colt) had his third breeze last week at Stonestreet Farm. Farm trainer Ian Brennan reported that it went fine but that his work wasn’t eye-catching. Our 3-year-old continues to build his fitness back up and is taking things slow given he is returning from a break in training. 

As the intensity of his breezes are starting to increase, it has been recommended from the Stonestreet team to consider gelding him to help Straight to Glory physically. The gelding procedure should lighten him up moving forward. 

In addition, Wesley Ward stopped in to check on Straight to Glory earlier this week and feels this would be a good decision at this point. As a result, we will proceed with the gelding procedure as soon as possible. This shouldn’t set him back too long in the big picture and we will follow up with more information in the coming week.

Happy "Actual" Birthdays This Week!

            - Lane Way ~ Foaled February 26, 2017

            - Legitify ~ Foaled February 26, 2021

    - Straight to Glory (Royal Duet) - Foaled Feb. 27, 2021

Guinevere Runs 3rd on Debut

Guinevere had a bit of a rough trip tonight at Turfway Park R#5. Breaking slow from the #1 post, she attempted to improve her position going into the turn but was unable to negotiate the traffic. Eventually moving to the outside, she rallied to take 3rd in her debut.

Prior to the race, she was very professional and looked great in the paddock, handling all the sights, sounds and crowd that came to see her extremely well, and standing quietly for the saddling. She is a very large filly and this was commented on several times by the announcers and people present. 

We're very excited to see what she can do going forward as she learns the ropes and gains experience.

We'll include the post-race report once it's available.  

POST RACE REPORT

Guinevere finished a promising 3RD in her career debut in today’s 5th race at Turfway Park, beaten by 4 1/4 lengths. Breaking a step slow, the daughter of Justify found her rhythm early but was shut off when trying to maneuver on the inside of the eventual winner #3 Winnable (Justify). 

She entered the backstretch in fourth and settled nicely about three lengths off of the leaders. Her jockey Abel Cedillo opted to put her in the clear near the half-mile pole and she responded well when the pace began to quicken. Our 3-year-old filly entered the final turn four-wide and battled on gamely through the stretch.

Breaking from the rail and going two turns on debut is never an easy task and Guinevere will surely gain plenty of experience from today’s race as well as fitness. As you will hear from Wesley, Guinevere came back a little tired and will surely benefit both physically and mentally. There is plenty to build off from this debut and hope to possibly see her at Keeneland this spring. We will discuss with the Ward barn in the coming days to see how she exited this race and we will report back with any news to share.

Guinevere Debuts Tonight: Analysis of her First Start

Today marks a monumental day for Guinevere, our daughter of Justify, as she makes her debut in the 5th race at Turfway Park. The one-mile maiden special weight drew a full field of 12 horses with Guinevere in post position #1.

Trainer Wesley Ward is known for winning on debut mainly with two-year-olds and is more than capable of getting it done with older horses as well. From a sample size of 29, Ward strikes at 24% with 3yo first-time starters. Our filly has had plenty of foundation (ten breezes) put into her which makes the route of ground not of concern. With that said, a debut around two turns is never an easy task. Over the last few weeks, reports have been positive from Ward regarding Guinevere’s morning activity and it seems she has taken a step forward. Her sire, Justify, continues to impress and is advertised as the best young sire in the world. Already with five G1 winners, it starts even before then with a 17% win rate on debut and he is capable of producing a horse that runs on any surface. As impressive as they have been early on, they seem to only get better with time.

Of course, we hope Guinevere starts her career off with a bang but anything can happen on debut. Breaking from the one hole, it would be ideal to get out of the gates alertly. Going around two turns, the rail draw is less of a factor but we would prefer to see her involved in the race and have to overcome the least amount possible. Abel Cedillo who recently moved his tack from CA to KY will be in the irons. Ward and Cedillo have teamed up for one win in only two starts but by no surprise Cedillo has made a quick impact at Turfway, winning at 17% from his last 100 starts.

Guinevere has been slated as the morning-line second choice with odds of 4-1. There are a few interesting horses in the field which you can read more about below, but the clear horse to beat will be #9 Moonlight Gambler. She holds a major class and experience edge over us and the majority of the field. If Moonlight Gambler comes back firing off a brief break, she “should” be tough to beat. 

We wish Guinevere the a safe and productive first race!

About the competition:

#2 Spellcheck (9/2): Daughter of Candy Ride has two elongated sprints under her belt and should appreciate the added distance. Her dam was a MSW winner going long on the turf at Del Mar.

#3 Winnable (12/1): Another well-bred Justify filly making her debut around two turns. Was entered back in November but was scratched. Disappeared from the work tab for 55 days and has only had five works leading up to this. While she likely didn’t leave training during that time, from a fitness standpoint this one may be a bit short.

#4 My Sexy Blonde (20/1): Unsuccessful in two tries. Lacks any speed and would need to get much faster.

#5 Pink Moon (20/1): Did no running on debut when sprinting but it was a very live race. The winner, Nice as Pie, returned to not only win a first-level allowance but also the Valdale S. on Feb. 10th. The runner-up, Poolside With Slim returned to win impressively on the stretch-out at Gulfstream and the third-place finisher Fantastical also returned to win on the stretch-out at Turfway. Would still need to see a completely different horse but she will get Lasix, blinkers, and a route of ground which could change the result.

#6 Waggle Pass (15/1): Was second most recently when running for Md $50,000. The added ground should benefit her but concerns she is simply a notch below.

SCRATCHED #7 Aldora (5/1): Exits the same race as Pink Moon (see above). Race two back was very solid but three of four starts have not been good. A little surprised with the morning line odds but this is another well-bred filly who should appreciate the return to two turns.

#8 Stakeout (8/1): Interesting runner for Godolphin. Was fifth on debut when sprinting, has come back to work well, and gets Lasix in career start number two. Worth a look at the price.

#9 Moonlight Gambler (3/1): The class of the field and the one to beat. Was fifth in the G2 Jessamine last Fall and was very competitive at the MSW level.

SCRATCHED #10 Nellie Thursday (12/1): FTS (first-time starter) by Lemon Drop Kid. Not surprising she is starting around two turns but the DeVaux barn has been cold this meet. The barn is capable of winning on debut and strikes at 11% debut at a mile or more. Leaning to watch one.

#11 Toffee Apple (12/1): Debut effort was very good but failed to repeat it in her next start. Still needs to be respected given that debut and her dam was a talented runner for Chad Brown who likely never got to show her true potential due to setbacks. Was a MSW winner at the Spa around two turns on grass.

#12 Sharper Gal (20/1): Has done zero running in two starts. Would need to change things around completely. 

Guinevere Debuts Tonight!

 Safe and productive trip, girl. Make your daddy proud. 

Happy "Actual" Birthdays This Week!

        - Guinevere (Royal Duet) ~ February 20, 2021

        - Simply Enchanting ~ February 22, 2021

This is a very big week for our two birthday girls!

As you may know, today is a very big day for our lovely Nyquist daughter, Simply Enchanting, as she makes her stakes debut in only her second start. We're sending her special good wishes and, hopefully, a few pats and happy kudos will be coming her way. Many thanks to her trainer Phil D'Amato. 

Go, Chant!

And on Wednesday, Guinevere will make her highly anticipated career debut at Turfway Park for trainer Wesley Ward! Best wishes, Guiney, as you begin your road to future success.  Also thanks to your trainer, the "King of Keeneland," Wesley Ward, for the excellent preparations for your debut. 

Go Guinney!

Ocala Event and Naming of La Cuvee 21 (The Royal Duet)

 It's a very busy day today on the partnership stable front. 

In addition to Secret Crush's debut and 4th place finish at Gulfstream in Florida, the Ocala Showcase was going on in Ocala, FL where three of our fillies were showcased -- Lady Blitz, Here's The Kicker, and the newly named Isle Blue. 

We were particularly happy with the video of Isle Blue, who is maturing beautifully and from what the trainers are saying, is an absolute pleasure to work with. This daughter of the late great sire Speightstown, out of a Curlin mare, is showing a lot of promise to date, and seems to be the barn favorite. We will look forward to her potential debut later this year or in 2025. 

Lady Blitz was also looking sensational, and has added a lot of weight and is carrying a nice shine. She led the filly parade on the track work, and looked like a pro. Being a veteran of several races, she is by far the most experienced of the field, and her professionalism really showed. The added time for her to mature should be a huge plus for her. Lady Blitz is from the first crop of Audible (Into Mischief), and he has already sired a potential Derby horse, so we've got our fingers crossed that she'll blossom in her 3YO year.

Here's The Kicker, our lovely dappled grey daughter of Liam's Map, also ran in the works, but was placed at the back of the pack. Although she looks healthy and happy, we have some concerns about how little she seems to have matured during her break. The team reported she has become fast friends with Lady Blitz, and they share a pasture together. It's possible she just won't have what it takes to be a racehorse, but at this point in the game, she could still completely surprise us. Time will tell.

Finally...

The name for our Cotai Glory son, La Cuvee '21 (temporary name) was announced at the Ocala Showcase today! The name chosen for the colt that's part of our The Royal Duet pair is.....

Once the Jockey Club officially approves the name, we'll make the appropriate changes on the site to the page and labels, however, since he's part of The Royal Duet, the page itself at the top of this site will not change, nor will the label on the side bar and on past posts since he's still a part of The Royal Duet bundle. (Whew! Makes our job a little easier.)

Straight to Glory is the last of our unnamed horses, as even the 2YOs (Isle Blue and Good Cop) have already been named. For the first time, we have a stable of fully named horses. (Unless we buy a yearling at some point, but right now, that is NOT in the plan! :) )

At Long Last, La Cuvee '21 to get a Name!

He's the last of our 21 partnership horses still going by his temporary tag, La Cuvee ' 21 (the name of his dam and birth year). Now our son of Cotai Glory will finally go through the process to get an official registered name. He's one of the two horses in our The Royal Duet, which is how he's listed on this site.

Here's the schedule of the naming contest for the partners. I'll keep you posted on any updates as this unfolds. 

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

Guinevere Works at Keeneland

 Keeneland 2/2/2024 Dirt 5F 1:03.20 Breezing 26/31

Guinevere (half of  The Royal Duet pair) returned to Keeneland and breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 this morning on the inside of stablemate Jefe de Obra. 

The daughter of Justify broke off about 2 lengths ahead of her workmate and traveled easily throughout the drill, always keeping the upper hand down the lane under minimal urging. 

Trainer Wesley Ward wasn’t looking for much and discussed with our team, saying that every work is getting better than the last and being a Justify she is really growing and maturing as a 3YO. He also stated he's really happy with the way this filly is progressing though it's taken some time to get her to this point both physically and mentally.

With a few additional works under her belt, we could see Guinevere make her career debut in the coming weeks and we will start building up our race plan once she breezes back.