Gulfstream Park: No Nay Never has Swale, Ascot, King's Bishop on agenda

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Wesley Ward has his undefeated Group 1 winner No Nay Never nominated to Saturday’s Grade 3 Hutcheson. But those eager to see the 3-year-old speedster make his first start since returning from a second successful trip to Europe in August will have to be patient.

No Nay Never, a son of Scat Daddy, was perfect in three starts at 2, winning his maiden over the Polytrack at Keeneland in April before heading across the pond to take the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the Group 1 Prix Morny in France eight weeks later, giving Ward the first Group 1 or Grade 1 win of his career.

[Hutcheson Stakes: Get PPs, watch Saturday's card live]

“He traveled back and forth to Europe a couple of times last year, so we decided to give him a break after he returned from France,” Ward said. “I gave him just a little leg stretcher at Keeneland before he shipped to Florida and started him back on a work schedule here. I put him in company with a pretty nice colt, Kitchen Police, in his last work, broke him off three lengths behind, and he just engulfed his target with Alex Solis just water skiing on him the last part.”

Ward said he decided to back off No Nay Never a bit after that work and wait a little longer to launch his 3-year-old season in the Grade 3 Swale on March 1.

“He’s a great horse, probably the best I’ve ever had,” Ward said. “I really believe dirt will be his preferred surface, and he especially loves this track here. He just floats over it.”

[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]

Ward said two of his goals for No Nay Never are to bring him back to Ascot later this spring and to win the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga.

“With Coolmore being part-owner of this horse, we’re always thinking Ascot so, we’ll point for either the St. James’s Palace or Jersey Stakes in June,” Ward said. “The King’s Bishop is a signature stallion race for 3-year-olds and our main goal right now.”

Ward also has his Grade 1-placed turf specialist Amen Kitten gearing up for his return, which is expected to come in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida here Feb. 15. Ward said Amen Kitten is running in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida rather than the 1 1/8-mile Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on Feb. 9 because the longer distance suits him better. Amen Kitten has not started since finishing third behind Seek Again in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in December.

Ward said he opted to bypass the opportunity to attend the Super Bowl on Sunday at the Meadowlands, where one of his principal clients, Wes Welker, will be in action for the Denver Broncos.

“Wesley said he’d prefer I stay here and keep training his horses,” Ward said with a laugh.

Ward has a dozen runners in training for Welker, including Undrafted, who finished third in the 2013 Swale. Undrafted has not started since his fourth-place finish in Del Mar’s Oceanside Stakes in July.