Tough Critic. (Coady Media)
Casse Nominates 24 to ‘Win & In Races’ at Royal Ascot
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Dew Sweepers’ Tough Critic is among the most notable names on the list of 51 nominations for the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile, a five-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-olds that will co-headline the May 10 program at Gulfstream Park with the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, a five-furlong turf stakes for freshman fillies that drew 50 nominations.
The winners of both stakes will each earn an automatic berth in one of six stakes during Great Britain’s Royal Ascot meeting (June 17 – 21) as all as a $25,000 equine travel stipend.
Tough Critic looms as a strong prospect for the Royal Palm Juvenile on the strength of a deep-rallying debut victory going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in an April 24 maiden special weight race at Keeneland. Perhaps, even more notable is his trainer George Weaver’s track record in Gulfstream’s premier turf stakes for juveniles and at Royal Ascot.
Weaver swept the two features in 2023 after saddling No Nay Mets for a victory in the Royal Palm Juvenile and Crimson Advocate for a triumph in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. Crimson Advocate went on to capture the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
(8) Tough Critic chases down (10) Longshoreman for the victory in race 2! (3) Tiempos Buenos follows in third. pic.twitter.com/dbjjSEh4X9
— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 24, 2025
Trainer Jose D’Angelo has nominated six for the Royal Palm Juvenile with hopes of returning to Royal Ascot. Last year, the 35-year-old Gulfstream-based trained saddled Gabaldon for a debut victory in the Royal Palm Juvenile. The Florida-bred son of Gone Astray went on to finish second in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The nominations list for the Royal Palm Juvenile includes 11 freshmen trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who saddled Bullet for a victory in last year’s Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.
Casse nominated 13 2-year-olds to the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, all of whom have yet to debut.
Mythical, an eye-catching 9 1/2-length debut winner April 17 at Gulfstream, is among eight Arindel homebred nominated to the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. Jorge Delgado trains Mythical.
Trainer Wesley Ward has nominated three for the filly event, including Satisfied Mind and Ohoopee, recent debut winners at Keeneland who have also been nominated to the Royal Palm Juvenile.
Amy Dunne’s Lennilu is prominent on the list of nominations for the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies after debuting with an off-the-pace win April 6 at Keeneland. The daughter of Leinster is trained by Patrick Biancone, who also nominated Squire, a son of Leinster who debuted with a victory at Gulfstream April 18 at Gulfstream, to the Royal Palm Juvenile.
Repole Stable and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher are represented on the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies nominations list by I Think I Can, an unraced daughter of Lope de Vega, and Nonna’s Love, who finished third in her recent debut at Keeneland.
