Campanelle returns for Commonwealth

The Kentucky-based filly Campanelle will be favored to win Friday’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-old sprinters at Royal Ascot in England on the basis of a brilliant sprint campaign in Europe last summer and the presence of top jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer Wesley Ward, who focuses on the Royal Ascot meeting each June.

What is missing for Campanelle is a prep race. Campanelle has not started since a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland last November, her only loss in four starts and her lone start at a mile.

Campanelle, owned by Stonestreet Stable, was entered in the $100,000 Limestone Turf Sprint for 3-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Keeneland in April only to be scratched because of a bruised heel.

Instead of giving her a prep race, Ward starts Campanelle after a series of turf workouts at Churchill Downs.

Campanelle is one of nine fillies in the 21-runner Commonwealth Cup, which is run on a six-furlong straightaway course. The layout is one that Campanelle is familiar with.

Last June, Campanelle won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs at Royal Ascot in her second start. Two months later, Campanelle beat males in the Group 1 Prix Morny at six furlongs on the straightaway course at Deauville Racecourse in northwest France.

Those wins play a massive role in why Campanelle was 4-1 with British bookmakers as of Wednesday, a slight choice over the French filly Suesa and the English colt Dragon Symbol.

Campanelle will start from post 14 and is expected to take her typical prominent position after the start.

Suesa, unbeaten in four starts, all for trainer Francois Rohaut, will have her Group 1 debut and first start outside of France in the Commonwealth. Owned by American George Strawbridge, Suesa recorded easy wins in two Group 3 turf sprints for 3-year-olds at Chantilly Racecourse north of Paris earlier this spring.

Dragon Symbol began his career in March by winning his first three starts, all on the English synthetic-track circuit, and then an allowance race on turf at five furlongs at Hamilton Racecourse in Scotland on May 2. Trained by Archie Watson, Dragon Symbol closed well to finish second by a nose in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs on turf at Haydock Racecourse near Liverpool on May 22.

The $493,500 Commonwealth Cup is one of two Group 1 races on the seven-race Royal Ascot program, which begins at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, or 6:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Group 1 Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile follows the Commonwealth Cup and has a field of 13.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has two runners expected to dominate the betting in Mother Earth and Empress Josephine. Each has outstanding credentials and an excellent chance to win. They must beat Pretty Gorgeous, who is trained by O’Brien’s son Joseph.

Mother Earth was second in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf last November, and this year has won the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas at a mile for 3-year-old fillies at Newmarket on May 2 and finished second by 1 3/4 lengths in the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas at Longchamp on May 16.

Mother Earth tends to run from off the pace, as does Empress Josephine, the 14-1 winner of the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 23. Empress Josephine won by a short head over stablemate Joan of Arc, who is not in the $601,893 Coronation Stakes.

Pretty Gorgeous was seventh in the Irish 1000 Guineas for American owner John Oxley in her first start of 2021. Pretty Gorgeous was bumped by a rival with three furlongs remaining and was beaten 3 1/4 lengths. Dettori rides Pretty Gorgeous for the first time in the Coronation Stakes.

Last fall, Pretty Gorgeous won the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket for her second stakes win.

Aidan O’Brien has a solid runner in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes for 3-yearolds at 1 1/2 miles in The Mediterranean, who will be ridden by top stable jockey Ryan Moore. The eight-runner King Edward VII Stakes is restricted to colts and geldings.

Alenquer, trained by William Haggas, will start favored in the King Edward on the basis of a half-length win in the Group 3 Classic Trial at 1 1/4 miles at Sandown Racecourse near London on April 23.

The Mediterranean was second by three-quarters of a length to Fernando Vichi in the Nijinsky Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Leopardstown on June 3.

Fernando Vichi, trained by O’Brien’s son Donnacha, was not entered in the $243,930 King Edward VII Stakes, and is expected to start in the Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 26.