Longchamp: Wesley Ward sends out 2-year-old winner

Two years after he became the first American trainer to saddle a winner at Royal Ascot, Wesley Ward is bound for the royal meeting again in June, and is taking a unique path to get there.

Saturday, Ward saddled Tiz Terrific to win a maiden turf race for 2-year-olds over about five furlongs at Longchamp in Paris, the trainer’s first winner in France.

Owned by Tom Van Meter, Tiz Terrific, the 2-1 second choice in a field of six, won by 2 1/4 lengths. A colt by Tiznow, Tiz Terrific was second in her debut at Keeneland on April 9, finishing a length behind Ingenue in a maiden special weight race.

Tiz Terrific is a contender for the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15.

Ward said last month that he was sending three 2-year-olds to France for prep races in an effort to make Royal Ascot. He said the decision was prompted by the elimination of the Three Chimneys Juvenile at Churchill Downs in early May, a race he intended to use as a prep race.

Ward became the first American-based trainer to win at Royal Ascot in 2009 when Strike the Tiger won the Windsor Castle Stakes and Jealous Again won the Queen Mary Stakes.

Monday at Chantilly, Ward has two runners – Everyday Dave and Judy the Beauty in races over about five furlongs on turf. Both horses were maiden race winners at Keeneland last month.