Report: Turf miler Carl Spackler is sold, Royal Ascot is next

Three-time Grade 1-winning turf miler Carl Spackler has been sold to race overseas. Royal Ascot is his next planned destination, to be followed by a campaign in Australia.

Previously owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds of Bob Edwards, Carl Spackler has been sold to Yuesheng Zhang's Yulong Investments according to a report from David Grening of Daily Racing Form. Edwards told DRF that he "had a lot of fun" with Carl Spackler, but the timing was good to sell him since he was not sure how well he would play as a commercial stallion prospect in the U.S.

Carl Spackler is being pointed to the Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot on June 17 according to Grening's report. He will do so for Australia-based trainer Ciaron Maher, and is expected to go to Australia after the start in England. According to a report Monday by Andrew Hawkins of Idol Horse, Maher intends the Cox Plate (G1) on Oct. 25 as the goal.

In the U.S. phase of his career, Carl Spackler was 12: 8-1-0 with earnings of $1,910,725 for trainer Chad Brown. He has started once this year, winning the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland in April.

Carl Spackler is a 5-year-old horse by top Ireland-based sire Lope de Vega, winner of both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1) and the Prix du Jockey Club (G1) in 2010. Lope de Vega is the sire of horses including Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winners Newspaperofrecord and Aunt Pearl, as well as Program Trading, winner of the Turf Classic (G1) in 2024 as well as both the Saratoga Derby (G1) and Hollywood Derby (G1) in 2023. Brown trained both Newspaperofrecord and Program Trading. Carl Spackler's dam, Zindaya, won the Goldikova (G2) for Brown and e Five in 2016.

Carl Spackler is not the first prominent North American horse to be purchased by Yulong Investments for an Australian campaign. They also purchased Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Moira to campaign her in Australia. In the barn of Chris Waller, Moira has raced once there so far, a 14th-place finish in the Doncaster Mile (G1) at Randwick in April. Yulong Investments also owns nine-time Group 1 winner Via Sistina, last-out winner of the Queen Elizabeth (G1) against males at Randwick.