Wesley Ward

Stonestreet Stables LLC's 'TDN Rising Star' Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), less fancied than her unbeaten stablemate Averly Jane (Midshipman), out-footed them all early and held the cavalry charge off late to provide both trainer Wesley Ward and Irad Ortiz, Jr. with their third-straight renewal of the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in its four-year history. European colt Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) was a half-length back in second, with another Ward-trained filly Kaufymaker (Jimmy Creed) spicing up the trifecta. Derrynane (Quality Road) came from far...

Trainer Wesley Ward joined this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast as the writers preview the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championship.

The TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland produced its third annual comprehensive Breeders' Cup preview show Wednesday, analyzing and handicapping all 14 World Championships races in depth, and welcomed trainer Wesley Ward later as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss his five combined Breeders' Cup starters in the GI Turf Sprint and GII Juvenile Turf Sprint and future goals for his barn. Asked whether he's happy with the niche he's carved out for himself as mainly an elite 2-year-old and turf sprint trainer or if he has...

Stonestreet Stables' Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) headlines Friday's GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. at Keeneland. A debut winner at Gulfstream in 2020, she took Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. a month later and followed suit with a win in Deauville's G1 Prix Morny S. that August. Fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at this venue last November, the bay came up a head short in the G1 Commonwealth Cup back at Royal Ascot June 18, but was promoted to first when the winner was disqualified....

Hat Creek Racing's Averly Jane (Midshipman--Sh Sh Shakin', by Richter Scale) powered home a much-the-best winner in Keeneland's Indian Summer S., a 'Win and You're In' race for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 5. Undefeated in three prior starts for trainer Wesley Ward, including a commanding score in Saratoga's Skidmore S. Aug. 20, she was installed the 4-5 choice while facing the boys and getting blinkers off here. To the front like a shot, she rolled through opening splits of :21.64 and :44.50. Turning...

Looking to rebound off a disappointing and well-backed seventh in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) was made to work for it up front, but he found an extra gear in the final furlong and came away to a relatively easy victory in Saturday's GII Woodford S. at Keeneland. The 1-2 chalk bounced well from his low gate, but was closely followed by Firecrow (Maclean's Music), who forced the pace through an opening quarter in :21.51. The latter looked poised to strike and...

A spot in the starting gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will be on the line in Sunday's GIII Futurity S. at Belmont Park. The Wesley Ward-trained duo of unbeaten Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) and Poppy Flower (Lea), both scratched out of Saturday's loaded GIII Matron S., are the top two choices on the morning-line while taking on the boys here. Keeneland debut winner Chi Town Lady switched to turf following some time on the shelf to add Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 18. Poppy Flower, in...

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's speedy sophomore Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will face off with 8-year-old Group 1 winning Extravagant Kid in Saturday's 5 1/2-furlong GII Woodford S. at Keeneland. A close-up second in last season's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, Golden Pal subsequently reeled off three consecutive stakes wins, including the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over this turf course last November followed by a confident victory in Saratoga's Quick Call S. July 15. Trained by Wesley Ward, Golden Pal finished seventh in...

Castleton Lyons's Chi Town Lady (Verrazano), the lone stakes winner thus far in a potential-laden field of 12, will try to make it three-for-three to start her career in Saturday's GIII Matron S. over six furlongs on the Belmont turf. Debuting as an overwhelming 1-5 on the Keeneland dirt this April, the chestnut obliged with a three-length graduation and, after a length break, overcame a stumbling start to score a 1 3/4-length success in the Bolton Landing S. over yielding grass Aug. 18 at Saratoga. An array of contenders will...

LEXINGTON, KY - With five sessions of selling still to come, the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale surpassed the total gross of its 12-session 2020 renewal during a final Book 3 session which featured competitive bidding through to the very end Sunday night in Lexington. By the end of business Sunday, 1,169 yearlings had sold during six sessions for a total of $278,883,000. The auction's total 2020 gross, recorded during the uncertainty of the pre-vaccination pandemic, was $200,750,700. During the two-session Book 3, 571 yearlings sold for $80,011,500 for an...

Averly Jane, whose half-brother Chattel (Giant Oak) belied 22-1 odds when he took this race in 2018, followed in big bro's hoofsteps while remaining unbeaten in her first start since April and beating the boys. An 8 3/4-length debut romper at Keeneland Apr. 5, the Fasig-Tipton October value buy returned just 13 days later to also best males in the Kentucky Juvenile S. during GI Kentucky Derby week Apr. 28. She returned to the worktab in Lexington at the end of June, and was the public's pick here as a...

Chi Town Lady outslugged her stablemate Poppy Flower late to take her record to two-for-two in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. A debut winner at Keeneland Apr. 11, she was given a 5-1 chance in this black-type bow. Last at the break, the chestnut swiftly moved up the outside to be third as her barnmate clocked a first quarter in :22.43. Poppy Flower turned for home in front with Chi Town Lady ranging up on her outside. It was a battle of the wesley Ward-trained chestnuts in the lane with Chi...