Ward living up to reputation as master of juveniles

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ten days into the Keeneland spring meet, and Wesley Ward already had four 2-year-old winners. Tack on another one at Aqueduct, and there’s little danger of Ward losing his reputation as a 2-year-old master anytime soon.

Ward said Friday while home in south Florida that it’s been an exciting start to a year that will take him back to the Royal Ascot meet in England in June.

“We’ll nominate them all to the big races over there,” said Ward, referring to Big City Dreamin, Con Te Partiro, Silvertoni, Lady Aurelia, and the New York winner, Lady Stardust.

All five are fillies, and some won in mixed company, an issue of no concern to Ward. Con Te Partiro and Silvertoni likely will run back against colts when the Kentucky Juvenile is revived May 5 at Churchill Downs, he said.

Lady Aurelia won by 7 1/2 lengths under wraps Thursday and could be headed for stardom for Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton.

“She’s not just a monster, she’s a fire-breathing dragon,” Ward said with a laugh.

Big City Dreamin won the first race of a meet that began April 8 despite sustaining a cut on her right hind leg that Ward said has healed. “She’s going to be twice the filly on grass, so that’s where she’ll show up next,” he said.

Ward has seven of the 29 nominees to the $150,000 Churchill Turf Sprint on the May 6 Kentucky Oaks undercard but said Undrafted probably won’t be one of his starters. Undrafted won the Grade 2 Shakertown here April 9 and won’t run again until Royal Ascot.

“He dug down deep in his soul to win that last one,” he said.

Acapulco, a 3-year-old filly, also is named to the Turf Sprint but likely will wait until the May 14 Unbridled Sidney at Churchill in prepping for Royal Ascot.

The Shakertown victory, incidentally, was the first in a North American graded stakes for Ward since Shrinking Violet won the Grade 2 Monrovia at Santa Anita in January 2015. In the meantime, Undrafted won the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee last June at Royal Ascot.