Bacio, ridden by Juan Hernandez, stormed to a one-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday, despite concerns over the softer ground. The front-running colt, whose name is Italian for 'kiss', showed little delicacy as he tore down the five-furlong strip without seeing a rival.
Jockey's dash to the airport
Hernandez had a plane to catch later on Friday, with rides booked in California on Saturday afternoon. His mount did all he could to ensure he got to Heathrow on time, producing a carbon copy of his win in a five-furlong handicap at Royal Ascot in June.
The going at Ascot was good-to-firm, and much energy had been expended in the run-up to Friday's race on speculation over Bacio's ability to handle softer ground. As it turned out, it made no difference at all to Wesley Ward's colt, and the American trainer finally has a Nunthorpe success to go with his 13 wins at Royal Ascot since 2009.
Trainer watches from Kentucky
Ward was on the Knavesmire to watch his three previous Nunthorpe runners but followed Friday's race from his barn at Keeneland in Kentucky, the venue for this year's Breeders' Cup meeting in late October.
“I know a lot of people were worried about the ground for him, but he didn’t know that,” Hernandez said, before running to a waiting helicopter to connect with the 6.15pm flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles.
“He ran great, he broke out of the gate really well, really sharp and he was ready to go. When the gate opened, he was all fire. He was trying to go too early, but I was able to take him back a little bit and save him for the last part.
“Everyone here has done such a great job with the horse. I’m really happy, this race is for America and all my family. Thank you, guys.”
Breeders' Cup hopes
Bacio showed no sign of his recent exertions in the winner's enclosure and was still bucking and snorting as he was led out. If he is in similar form ahead of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on 31 October, he will be one of the shortest-priced favourites of the two-day meeting.
“He’s just so fast that it doesn’t matter what he runs on,” Caitlin Ward, the trainer's daughter-in-law, said afterwards. “He just skips over the surface [and] he’s a classic turf sprinter.”
