Royal Ascot winners Hootenanny and The Wow Signal are set to face off in a field of nine 2-year-olds set for the Darley Prix Morny (Fr-I) Aug. 24 at Deauville.
Hootenanny's United States-based trainer Wesley Ward will try to win the race for the second straight year following No Nay Never last season.
A Kentucky-bred by Quality Road campaigned by Coolmore and partners, Hootenanny won his stakes debut in Royal Ascot's Windsor Castle June 17, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths in :59 flat for five furlongs on turf. The triumph followed his well-beaten third behind Governmentshutdown in the Rollicking Stakes a month earlier going the same distance at Pimlico Race Course.
"I think mine is a pretty quality colt, but we went for the Windsor Castle stakes because he was beaten in his previous run on the dirt," Ward told England's Press Association. "I was disappointed with him that day because I think so highly of him.
"But when he won at Ascot in a time that I believe was almost as fast as the older horses (in the King's Stand Stakes, Eng-I), I was kind of kicking myself as he was taking home a listed race and The Wow Signal was winning a group II (Coventry Stakes, also June 17)."
Following his debut win by nine lengths at Ayr, The Wow Signal captured the Coventry by 1 1/2 lengths after leading or dueling for the lead throughout the six-furlong test. He was pointed for the Aug. 10 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (Ire-I) at the Curragh but bypassed the race because a slight cough and unsatisfactory blood work.
"He's back firing on all cylinders now and we're hopeful that he'll run a big race," said John Quinn, who trains the son of Starspangledbanner for Al Shaqab Racing.
The Aga Khan's Ervedya will try for her fourth win from as many career starts. The daughter of Siyouni won the Prix de Cabourg (Fr-III) by two lengths at the Prix Morny distance earlier this month at Deauville.
Winner of the Prix du Bois (Fr-II) June 30 at Chantilly, Guy Pariente's Goken, a son of Kendargent, was fourth behind winner Kool Kompany, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, when stepping up in the Prix Robert Papin (Fr-II) July 20 at Longchamp last time out.
Darley Prix Morny (Fr-I), Aug. 24, 2YO colts and fillies, 1,200 meters (about 6f) Deauville
No. PP. Horse (Where Bred) (Sire), Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. 3. The Wow Signal (IRE) (Starspangledbanner), F. Dettori, 126, J. Quinn
2. 7. Lehaim (FR) (Siyouni), G. Mosse, 126, M. Nigge
3. 6. Hootenanny (KY) (Quality Road), L. Goncalves, 126, W. Ward
4. 1 Goken (FR) (Kendargent), F. Vernon, 126, H. A. Pantall
5. 8. Quevedo (SPA), Diktat, M. Guyon, 126, A. Imaz-Ceca
6. 9. Ride Like the Wind (IRE) (Lope de Vega), M. Barzalona, 126, F. Head
7. 4. Ervedya (FR) (Siyouni), C. Soumillon, 123, J. C. Rouget
8. 5. Malicieuse (IRE) (Galileo), S. Pasquier, 123, J. Pease
9. 2. Power of The Moon (FR) (Acclamation), T. Bachelot, 123, M. Nigge
