Bacio broke out in the Nunthorpe and fulfilled one of Wesley Ward's big dreams

The American sensation made all the running at York to hand the trainer one of the most coveted victories of his career; now the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) looms on the horizon

KNAVESMIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).— It was a long time coming. There were painful defeats, some almost inexplicable. Through his barn passed Acapulco (Scat Daddy), Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), and Golden Pal(Uncle Mo)—three of the most extraordinary sprinters to ever cross his path. But finally, Wesley Ward was able to check the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) off his bucket list. And it was Bacio who provided that supreme satisfaction, flying across the straight course at York on Friday.

The American-trained runner was a absolute bullet over the 1,000 meters of the Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes (G1), leaving Europe's top sprinters with no answers as he pulled clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths under Juan Hernández, proving that the towering impression he left at Royal Ascot was far from an overstatement.

Wesley Ward watched the entire race unfold from his base at Keeneland and, true to form, rode every stride as if he were glued to the rails at York.

"We did it! I'm so excited I can't even explain it," he said afterwards. "I was screaming and all my guys here at Keeneland were going crazy. It was incredible."

To understand such jubilation, one must turn back the clock. Wesley Ward was a true trailblazer among American trainers in Europe. In 2009, when he was still virtually unknown to the British public, Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge) became the first U.S.-trained horse to win at Royal Ascot, capturing the Windsor Castle Stakes (L). Since then, his tally at the world's most famous meeting has grown to 13 victories.

York, however, had turned into a nagging piece of unfinished business. Acapulco finished second in the 2015 Nunthorpe, and two seasons later, the fantastic Lady Aurelia lost an unforgettable running to Marsha by the narrowest of margins. In 2021, Wesley Ward returned convinced his time had arrived with Golden Pal, but the brilliant speedster missed the break and could never deploy his devastating gears.

This time, everything fell into place perfectly. Bacio had already served notice of his capabilities at Royal Ascot, where he made a 100 rating look trivial by strolling home in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap. That performance catapulted him straight into top-flight company and made him the 3-1 favorite at York.

Rain and the resulting softening of the ground loomed as major question marks. American sprinters typically require firm going to showcase their best speed, but Bacio ultimately proved that track conditions mattered little.

From the moment the gates flew open, he exploded out of the stalls. His early acceleration was lethal, quickly putting the local defenders under relentless pressure. The only question was whether such an early outlay would take its toll through the closing stages. The answer was resounding: Bacio kept finding and finding, to the point where Juan Hernández never even needed to push him to his absolute limits to seal the victory.

"Since he came back from Royal Ascot, I trained him pretty light. I didn't want to do too much with him, and I think that really paid off, because he had to travel back over and handle everything that entails," Wesley Ward explained.

He harbors zero doubts regarding his charge's class: "He's a horse of immense quality, a G1 animal. He really showed what he is today, and I'm so proud of him," he noted. "You never know what might happen when you jump into the deep end of the pool, but now we've found out he can swim with anyone."

Wesley Ward also offered a humorous take on his absence from York. He was not on-site when he secured his first Breeders' Cup wins in 2014—with Hootenanny, ridden by Frankie Dettori, and Judy The Beauty—and now history repeated itself.

"To be honest, I've had a lot of luck not being at the races," he joked.

He quickly shifted the credit to his team and, in particular, to Blake Heap, his longtime assistant who accompanied Bacio in England.

"Blake Heap has been with me since I started training. If I'd been there, I'd have just gotten in the way. They do all the work and I'd have just saddled him up at the end of the day. I can't thank them enough," he acknowledged.

He expanded: "My name goes on it and I get all the credit, but every single person in this barn works so hard with these wonderful horses to achieve things like this and make trainers like me look good. They're the unsung heroes, without a doubt."

With his Nunthorpe dream fulfilled, Wesley Ward is already plotting what lies ahead. And the next objective will take place much closer to home.

Bacio will now target the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, his home track, where he will have the opportunity to prove to his home crowd the international stature he just attained at York.

Yet the ambitions do not end there. Wesley Ward revealed that, together with the ownership group—which includes MyRacehorse—he has already begun mapping out a 2027 campaign that could take the newly crowned G1 winner all the way to Australia.

"I'm really excited to get him back for the Breeders' Cup on his home turf. And after speaking with the owners, especially MyRacehorse and my daughter-in-law Caitlin Dunne—who is married to my son Riley and put this whole ownership group together—I'd really love to go to Australia to run in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February. That will be his goal," he revealed.

His racing career will continue onward. "MyRacehorse wants to keep him in training as a 4-year-old, and we've already discussed it. He's a light-framed, lightly raced horse, and I'm extremely lucky to have one like him."

For nearly two decades, Wesley Ward crossed the Atlantic time and again seeking to conquer Europe's flagship sprint contests. Royal Ascot became almost familiar territory, but York continued to resist.

Bacio put an end to the wait in the exact manner Wesley Ward understands best: raw speed, from wire to wire.

Back at Keeneland, the trainer celebrated at the top of his lungs. And with good reason. After 17 years of chasing it, the Nunthorpe trophy is finally headed home to Kentucky.