Wesley Ward

Well supported for his stakes debut, Schwarzenegger (Not This Time) went to the front and stayed there, holding on to win by a half-length over TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, Obliteration (Violence). Sprinting through a quarter mile in a crisp :21.17, the bay was clear turning for home and dug in late as a trio of runners came up to his haunches but were unable to get by the 2-1 favorite at the wire. Obliteration was a neck in front of Rogue Legend (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and it...

Stop me if you've heard this one before but trainer Wesley Ward debuted a speedy new youngster at Keeneland Saturday as Heartily (Complexity) romped to become a new 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' in the nightcap. The 4-5 favorite faced a field of largely inexperienced runners who saw little but this OBS April grad's heels as he rocketed out to lead from an inside draw under John Velazquez. The only rival to keep pace early was Telecaster (Kantharos) as this group got strung out in dramatic fashion into the...

3rd-Keeneland, $116,490, Alw, 10-4, (NW2L), 2yo, 6f, 1:11.26, ft, 2 lengths. OUTFIELDER (c, 2, Speightstown--Notte d'Oro {SW-USA, SP-Can, $242,482}, by Medaglia d'Oro) became a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' at Churchill Downs back in May with an easy 6 1/4-length win on the grass for Wesley Ward. A next planned start at Royal Ascot was punted when he came down with a minor shin issue but Ward was still able to ship the young colt to France where he wound up fourth beaten 2 3/4 lengths in the G1...

When the partnership of Qatar Racing and Mrs. Fitriani Hay went to $205,000 to secure Nakatomi (Firing Line) as a 4-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale in 2023, they were picking up a gelding who was graded stakes placed at Pimlico, Aqueduct and Saratoga. But he entered the sale's ring having last seen the winner's circle at Keeneland in Nov. 2022 and clearly needing to take a step forward for trainer Wesley Ward. Well that purchase quickly provided dividends with Nakatomi giving the partnership a win...

Friday is the start of the unofficial Kentucky state holiday known as Opening Weekend at Keeneland, and GI Spinaway victress Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) headlines a strong card for fantastic racing not just at the venue but across the country. Largely considered the last hurrah for anyone trying to get into the World Championships by way of the 'WAYI' challenge series, several tracks across the country have such opportunities in October, and Keeneland will be hosting three such chances on Friday. The last of the graded races for the opening...

Edited Press Release Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, best known for piloting American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) to victory in the 2015 Triple Crown and in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland, will be a member of the local jockey colony throughout the Fall Meet, which opens its 17-day run Oct. 3. Espinoza made the change from his longtime Southern California base this past summer after trainer Wesley Ward convinced him to turn his Saratoga Race Course visit into a working vacation. Espinoza agreed and stayed fit exercising...

Ahead of a weekend which offers no fewer than 26 graded stakes races spread across three days, the GIII Matron Stakes at Aqueduct offers a warm up of sorts as 2-year-old fillies sprint six furlongs on the outer turf course in New York. Snow Face Princess (Midshipman) made headlines over the summer, taking the listed Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga before topping the Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale where Winchell Thoroughbreds picked her up for $775,000. Making her first start for trainer Steve Asmussen at Kentucky Downs, she settled for a...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Schwarzenegger (c, 2, Not This Time), narrowly defeated as the 3-5 favorite sprinting over the Saratoga grass on debut Aug. 29, will attempt to earn his diploma in the $300,000 Indian Summer S. at Keeneland Sunday. "This has always been one of my favorite 2-year-olds from the onset," trainer Wesley Ward said. "Once we got up to Saratoga and we started working him on the grass, you...

Keeneland September Book 5 opened Wednesday with continued strong trade across the board led by a Midshipman colt (hip 3056) who topped the session at $270,000 to trainer Wesley Ward. Increases were seen on all fronts as 303 yearlings sold through the ring for $15,405,500, up 12.09% from last year's Session 9 gross of $13,744,000 for 308 horses. Average price of $50,843 was 13.94% above $44,623 last year and the median increased 14.29% from $35,000 to $40,000. Cumulatively, Keeneland has sold 2,074 yearlings through the ring for $487,629,500 for an...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which opened with a record-setting session Monday, continued with an action-packed second Book 1 session Tuesday, establishing yet another September session record average and median. Twenty horses sold for $1 million or more during the session, led by a colt by Gun Runner and a filly by Flightline who brought matching $2.2 million price tags. "It was a good day at the sale, for sure," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "We built on what...

Trainer Wesley Ward, bidding on behalf of a partnership, signed the ticket at $2.2 million to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 243) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment during the second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Tuesday in Lexington. Bred by Three Chimneys Farm, the bay is a full-brother to GI Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting. Hip 243 is the sixth yearling by Three Chimneys' Gun Runner to reach seven figures at the auction.

6th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 4:02 p.m. Bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe signed the ticket on SCHWARZENEGGER (Not This Time), a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale grad one year ago who now races for a partnership which includes David Fennelly, Brook Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Resolution Road Stables. It was the colt's second time at auction having first sold for $410,000 as a weanling at KEENOV in 2023 to Violet Stables. His winning Lemon Drop Kid first dam just passed through the ring herself, realizing $350,000 from Gainesway at KEENOV...