United States-based sprinter Bacio (Maclean’s Music – Katie’s Kiss, by Kantharos) blitzed home ahead of his 26 rivals to win the final race on the June 19 card at Royal Ascot, taking the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes and enduring some post-race drama to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates.
Successful in three of his four starts stateside for trainer Wesley Ward, Bacio made all his running on the stands’ side for an emphatic 3 3/4-length length victory. Jockey Juan Hernandez initially weighed in light after the race, but the discrepancy was solved after it was discovered the overgirth did not go through the scales.
“I have ridden him the last three times,” Hernandez told Royal Ascot publicity. “He worked really well at Churchill Downs a couple of months ago. He looked really strong coming back from a lay-off. He showed today that he is a really good horse.”
Owned by My Racehorse, Shockley, Hanna, and Messenger, Bacio was offered at the 2025 OBS March Sale by the Top Line Sales consignment but failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :9 4/5.
At Monmouth Park June 21, Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables’ Governor Sam (Improbable – I’m Betty G, by Into Mischief) catapulted off a stalking position after blazing early fractions to win the $100,000 Get Serious Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths.
Governor Sam chased Speed Figures through opening fractions of :20.74 and :43.10 to the half in the five-furlong grass sprint before drawing off. He was purchased by Bregman Family Racing and Ivan Cabrera for $275,000 from Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale after breezing in :9 4/5.
At Aqueduct June 20, Transfiguration Stable’s Nessuna Pagina (Honest Mischief- Brilliantkatherine, by Gemologist) battled back late to edge fellow OBS graduate Illmatic and Spirit of New York in Saturday’s $150,000 Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomores.
Trained by Paul Barrow, the Honest Mischief gelding improved to a perfect 3-for-3. Bred in New York by Blue Chip Bloodstock, Nessuna Pagina was $20,000 purchase by MEG Racing from the Gene Recio consignment at the 2025 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 flat.
At Century Mile on June 20, Avana (Vino Rosso—Revealing Moment, by After Market) posted a 1 1/4-length victory in the $35,328 R. A. Red McKenzie Handicap. A 5-year-old daughter of Vino Rosso owned by Bryan and Carol Anne Anderson, Rick Orman, William Decoursey, Greg Palmer, and Denise Praill, Avana improved her record to 13 wins from 17 starts.
Trained by Barbara Heads, the daughter of Vino Rosso was purchased by Mike Ryan, agent for $150,000 out of the consignment of Cary Frommer at the 2023 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 2/5.
At Delaware Park June 13, Just a Touch (Justify-Touching Beauty, by Tapit) registered his first stakes victory when he prevailed by 3 ½ lengths in the $200,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park June 13.
Trained by Brad Cox for Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel, Just a Touch finished second in the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) behind eventual champion Sierra Leone. He was purchased by Fergus Galvin, agent for $300,000 at the 2023 OBS April Sale from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :9 4/5.