Beyond having hundreds of victories in the United States, trainer Patrick Biancone has ample international wins, including famously capturing back-to-back runnings of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) with All Along (1983) and Sagace (1984).
Now for the second straight year, the French-born, Florida-based conditioner has Royal Ascot on his itinerary. Last year, he ran third in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) with Lennilu—an outcome he hopes to improve upon in 2026 with Celtic Dispute, who punched her ticket for the British meeting with a neck victory in the $112,500 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes May 9 at Gulfstream Park.
The Royal Palm Juvenile and a separate one for fillies on the Saturday card, the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes, each serve as automatic qualifiers into one of six juvenile stakes during Royal Ascot's June 16-20 meeting at Ascot Racecourse. The winners are also to receive a $25,000 equine travel stipend.
Though the Royal Palm Juvenile was filled mostly with males, fillies finished 1-2, with Celtic Dispute chasing and eventually outrunning Ten Broeck Farm's Skara Brae, the favorite, who had controlled the 5-furlong contest early. However, Celtic Dispute wore her down, proving narrowly best after a long stretch battle. The winner was clocked on firm turf in :56.17 under Luis Saez after splits of :21.28 and :44.06 set by runner-up Skara Brae. Celtic Dispute paid $7.60 to win as the second favorite.
Braums Run outfinished slow-starting Omaha Forty for the show spot.
Celtic Dispute, a Florida-bred Leinster filly out of the Bertrando mare Bert's Altarcation, was a $90,000 purchase by Dew Sweepers in 2025 from Fasig-Tipton's The July Sale in Kentucky. Her win in the Royal Palm followed a debut second against maidens last month on dirt at Gulfstream.
Leinster also excelled in turf sprints before entering stud in 2022. He currently stands for $7,500 at Mountain View Farm in New York.
Video: Royal Palm Juvenile S. (BT)
Liberty Rings scores in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies
At odds of 7-1, Liberty Rings took the lead and never looked back in the $122,750 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes. The 2-year-old daughter of Awesome Slew broke a bit slowly in the 5-furlong turf race, but was rushed up soon after to grab the lead, setting fractions of :21.78 and :44.50. Under jockey Miguel Vasquez, Liberty Rings continued traveling in hand down the backstretch, sitting in a comfortable position. As the field hit the top of the stretch, she had a 1 1/2-length advantage on her competition, but had a wall of pursuers coming after her. She battled on to repel those foes, scoring by 1 1/4 lengths on the wire.
The Nicholas Palmer trainee completed the race in a final time of :56.58. She paid $17.60 to win. Mark Casse trainees finished 2-3, with Pros and Cons second and, at odds of 26-1, Sass Sass finished third. The 1-2 favorite Pot's Right was beaten 3 1/4 lengths in fourth.
Owned by Teresa and David Palmer, Florida-bred Liberty Rings earned her first victory in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. She made her first start April 19 on the dirt, a race in which she finished third, a half-length off the winner. Purchased by her trainer for just $27,000 at the 2025 Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearling Sale, she has now punched her ticket for a trip to the Royal Ascot meeting.
