Saratoga 2023: What’s next for Weaver’s Ascot winner?

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

What can Crimson Advocate do for an encore?

That is the challenging question facing George Weaver after the 2-year-old daughter of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist got her nose down in the nick of time to win the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes on June 21 at Royal Ascot.

As of now, the third U.S.-based trainer to win at Royal Ascot, joining Wesley Ward and Mark Casse, has no answer.

“We’ll do what we always do, take it a day at a time and let the horse tell us what they want to do and should be doing,” said Weaver. “We’re not going to commit to anything.”

Crimson Advocate cleared quarantine and joined the trainer’s 34-horse string at Saratoga for the prestigious summer meet that opens July 13. It is possible she will be pointed toward the Aug. 20 Bolton Landing, going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

But Weaver was quick to add, “There’s also a chance we might give her a breather because she’s been so busy.”

An April 30 foal, Crimson Advocate was placed on a fast track to a resounding international success. She took third in her April 26 debut at Keeneland before securing an automatic berth at Royal Ascot and $25,000 in equine travel expenses when she won the inaugural Royal Palm Fillies Juvenile Stakes on May 13 at Gulfstream Park.

Weaver appears likely to take a more aggressive approach with No Nay Mets, who did not fare nearly as well at Royal Ascot. The No Nay Never colt came in ninth in the Norfolk Stakes (G2)on June 22. The juvenile had secured his spot overseas with an authoritative 3 1/2-length score in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream.

Weaver continues to be puzzled by the Norfolk result.

“Perhaps he wasn’t good enough on the day, you know what I mean?” he said. “It’s a different place, you’re kind of going uphill. Maybe he didn’t adjust to it as well as the filly did. I’m not sure. I’m not familiar with those horses, but it looked pretty salty on paper. He was really beaten, I think, six lengths for everything. The jockey (Frankie Dettori) came back and said he wasn’t on the best part of the course to be on.”

The good news is that No Nay Mets came out of the race so well that he resumed training July 3 at Saratoga. His next race could be either the five-furlong Tyro on July 30 at Monmouth Park or the 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore on Aug. 18 at Saratoga.

Weaver expects Pass the Champagne and Dorth Vader to assert themselves at Saratoga. He is considering shortening up Pass the Champagne to run in the seven-furlong Ballerina (G1) on Aug. 26 after her fourth-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Ogden Phipps (G1) on June 10 at Belmont Park.

Dorth Vader will be making her second start after joining Weaver's barn ahead of a runner-up effort in the Acorn (G1). The $500,000 Test (G1) is next on her schedule. The homebred daughter of Girvin is owned by John Ropes.

Whatever the future holds for Weaver, 52, he will never forget the day Crimson Advocate strutted her stuff for all the world to see.

“As a horse trainer, you know to bring a horse over there and win, it’s something special. It felt like something special,” he said. “I’m just very happy for the owners, our team, my family. It was a lot of fun.”