Bacio Leads All the Way to Win Nunthorpe Stakes at York

Bacio produced a front-running performance to win the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday, completing the five-furlong race without being headed. The Guardian reported that the colt crossed the line one and a quarter lengths clear, adding a major British sprint prize to the five-furlong handicap he won at Royal Ascot in June.

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Jockey Juan Hernandez broke sharply from the stalls and kept Bacio under control after the colt showed early speed. Hernandez said afterward that Bacio was ready when the gates opened and that he was able to restrain him enough to preserve energy for the closing portion of the race. The jockey then left York for Heathrow, where he was due to catch a flight to Los Angeles before riding in California on Saturday.

The result answered one of the main questions surrounding Bacio before the race. His Royal Ascot victory had come on good-to-firm ground, while the surface at York was softer. According to The Guardian's report, the different conditions did not prevent him from reproducing the same prominent racing style or sustaining his pace to the finish.

The victory was a first Nunthorpe Stakes success for American trainer Wesley Ward. Ward, who has recorded 13 Royal Ascot winners since 2009, watched the race from his barn at Keeneland in Kentucky rather than attending York. Keeneland is also scheduled to stage the Breeders' Cup meeting in late October.

Bacio remained energetic after the race, bucking and snorting as he left the winner's enclosure. Caitlin Ward, the trainer's daughter-in-law, said his speed allowed him to handle the surface and described him as a turf sprinter. Her assessment was consistent with a performance built around an immediate break, control of the lead and sustained speed over the minimum distance.

The Guardian reported that the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on October 31 is a possible major target. It also noted that Bacio could be among the leading contenders if he reaches that race in similar form. For now, the confirmed achievement is his York success: a first Nunthorpe for Ward and another British win for Hernandez and the colt after their Royal Ascot result.