Trainer Patrick Biancone’s promising colt Squire is set to lead a competitive field of 2-year-olds in Saturday’s $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park — a pivotal five-furlong turf stakes that offers the winner not only prize money but a golden ticket to Royal Ascot 2025, along with a $25,000 equine travel stipend.
Squire, owned by Amy Dunne and the only runner in the 14-horse field with a win to his name, earned his credentials on April 18 with a gritty debut victory despite early trouble and a wide trip. The son of turf specialist Leinster now switches to grass for the first time but has already impressed in a turf breeze at Palm Meadows, clocking five furlongs in 1:02 — the fastest of four at the distance on April 30.
“He started to understand racing by the three-eighths and made a very good move. He came back well, so we’ll take a shot,” Biancone said. Jockey Luis Saez will once again take the reins.
The Royal Palm Juvenile co-headlines a 10-race Saturday card with its filly counterpart, the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, both serving as Royal Ascot qualifiers for the prestigious June 17–21 meeting in England.
Among Squire’s challengers is Fuzzy Stare, a homebred son of Hootenanny from the barn of Wesley Ward, renowned for prepping early 2-year-old winners. Ward is optimistic despite concerns about the climate shift from Kentucky to Florida: “He’s intelligent and showed nice gate work. Whether he’s ready to win this at first asking, we’ll see.”
Another major contender is George Weaver, whose previous Royal Palm winners went on to shine at Royal Ascot — including Crimson Advocate, who captured the Group 2 Queen Mary in 2023. Weaver returns with Sandal’s Song and Royal Testament.
Jose D’Angelo, who sent Gabaldon to a runner-up finish in the Windsor Castle at Ascot last year, brings a formidable group of four, including Fear, Ciborio, Skipping Stars (first also-eligible), and Hotter Than Dem (second also-eligible).
Also in the mix are Beers On Me, runner-up to Squire on debut for Luis Mendez; Arkadelphia, a Halladay colt making his first start; and I Think I Can, a debuting Irish-bred by Lope de Vega trained by Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable. Chasing My Dream (trained by David Braddy), Cadenced (Mark Casse), and Win N Juice (Nolan Ramsey) round out a well-matched field.
With Royal Ascot on the line, Saturday’s Royal Palm Juvenile is more than a local test — it’s a potential launchpad to the global stage for a new generation of turf sprinters.
