Spendarella Does U.S. Proud as Royal Meet Winds Down

I'm not sure what everyone told us about London and rain, but June 17 was the fifth absolutely beautiful day of our trip, another great experience on the fourth day of Royal Ascot. The weather felt like we never left home, with temperatures rising to 90+ degrees without a cloud in sight. Due to the warm weather, Ascot relaxed the dress code after the Royal Procession, with men allowed to take off their top hats and jackets, marking only the second time in history that this has occurred. They also placed free water bottles outside in many locations to help people to stay hydrated. The heat did force a lot of the patrons inside, and it definitely felt like the busiest of the three days we had attended so far. The rush of people started close to 2:00 p.m. local time, when the Royal Procession featured William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They seem immensely popular on both sides of the Atlantic and got the loudest reception of any Royal Procession this week. It feels that William is a driving force with trying to modernize the Monarchy, and it felt in line with slightly relaxing the dress code to address the heat. Unfortunately, their presence was not enough to get any of the Queen's horses home. It had been a couple of rough days for Frankie Dettori, who had drawn the ire of John Gosden with multiple rides on Thursday. He rode the most impressive winner of the day in Inspiral (GB), who was making her 2022 debut in the Coronation Stakes (G1). She was very antsy in the parade ring, but looked a class apart. Watching Frankie do his "flying dismount" never gets old. The crowd loves it, and it's even better in person. It has also been a tough week for American riders. Irad Ortiz Jr. had his well publicized missed break on Golden Pal and received a five-day suspension on Love Reigns (IRE). Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz came over to ride today, but never really factored. I would note that the best American result so far came with Graham Motion's Spendarella, who was ridden by Godolphin's first-string rider William Buick. It showed that American turf horses can compete, as she beat two One Thousand Guineas (G1) winners, and three other group 1 winners, with her runner-up finish in the Coronation Stakes (G1). The Royal meeting enters its last day on Saturday, and it will feature a Medallion Racing runner. We have Mise Le Meas (IRE) in the Jersey Stakes (G3). She will be a longshot in here as a filly facing colts. She got caught in between distances, as she is unlikely to stay the stiff mile at Ascot, and isn't quite ready to drop down in distance. She is in good form, and we are hoping for a good effort, but understand it will be a tough race. She is likely to run once more in Europe post-Ascot before coming to America. It has already been an unforgettable trip, and a big run from Mise Le Meas would be the cherry on top!