Kentucky-bred Crimson Advocate prevailed by a nose in a thrilling finish to the Queen Mary S. (G2) at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.
Owned by R.A. Hill Stable, Swinbank Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, RAP Racing, Chris Mara, BlackRidge Stables LLC, and Amy Dunne, Crimson Advocate is trained by George Weaver, and was bred in the Bluegrass by Whitehall Lane Farm.
Winner of the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park in her previous outing, Crimson Advocate, ridden by John Velazquez, set all the pace in the five-furlong Queen Mary Stakes and held on determinedly late to defeat Relief’s Rally (IRE). Crimson Advocate is a daughter of Nyquist out of the Proud Citizen mare Citizen Advocate and was a $100,000 graduate of last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales’ October Yearling Sale.
“It was close, but I’m glad she held on,” Velazquez told ITV Racing. “It’s a long way for us and the hill here gets a bit tiring for them, but she held on well. She was really, really fast last time and I didn’t want to take that away from her—I just let her do it. It’s special to win here and that’s why I keep trying to come back and win races here every year.”
Crimson Advocate is now a winner in two of three starts with earnings of $138,047.