Ward sends out pair of debut winners in Aqueduct starter allowance

Trainer Wesley Ward has horses running on a number of circuits this week, starting with Fire Sword and Stylish Rags on Thursday at Aqueduct.

Ward also has horses in at Turfway, will be entering for Gulfstream, and has Breeders’ Cup alum Outadore on deck for the $200,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park. The trainer plans to close out the race week back at Aqueduct, with multiple Group 1 winner Mirinaque in the $100,000 Queens County on Saturday.

“Being based at Keeneland year-round, you kind of pick your spots,” said Ward.

The card Thursday at Aqueduct features three quality events on an eight-race program.

Per Capita, a full brother to Grade 2 Kelso winner Anchor Down, will be chasing after his third straight win in the fifth race, a conditioned allowance route for 3-year-olds and up which classes out at the two-other-than level.

The seventh race is a first-level allowance for New York-breds. It will be run over six furlongs and the potential favorite in the field of 11 is Luna’s in Charge. He will be moving back into statebred company off a fourth-place finish in a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs.

Ward’s starters on Thursday’s card are in the second race, a $50,000 starter allowance sprint for 2-year-olds over seven furlongs.

“We’re taking advantage of that starter allowance condition,” he said.

Fire Sword was a 4 1/2-length debut winner Oct. 15 at Keeneland. The start came in a $50,000 maiden-claiming sprint and the Beyer Speed Figure of 63 that he earned is one of the best numbers in the field Thursday.

“He did everything right,” Ward said. “He broke sharp, went right to the lead, won.”

Fire Sword, a son of First Samurai who races for Silverton Hill, will be picking up more ground after debuting at six furlongs.

“It’s a little bit farther,” Ward said. “He doesn’t show any reason he wouldn’t go any further.

“He’s been really working fantastic. I’m looking forward to running him.”

The same is true for Stylish Rags, a filly facing males. She comes off a debut win July 31 at Saratoga, capturing a $50,000 maiden-claiming sprint by a neck. The start came at 5 1/2 furlongs.

“She had a nice win first start,” Ward said.

“She probably would want a little more ground. She’s a big filly.”

Stylish Rags is a daughter of Union Rags who races for her breeder, Merriebelle Stable. Jorge Vargas Jr., has the mount from post 4.

Dylan Davis will be aboard Fire Sword from post 7 in the field of eight Thursday. Ward said Davis also will have the mount on Mirinaque in the Queens County on Saturday.

The probable favorite in the second race is Sam and Sy, who enters off a runner-up finish in a $50,000 starter allowance Nov. 18 at Churchill.

Per Capita is part of a field of eight in the fifth race, which will be run over a mile and an eighth. He enters off a first-level allowance win at the distance Sept. 7 at Saratoga. Before that, Per Capita won a maiden special weight at a mile at Churchill. Kendrick Carmouche has the mount from post 6 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The chief rivals include Backsideofthemoon, a winner at a similar level last out at Aqueduct who is nominated to the Queens County, and Kumar, a five-time winner who is coming off back-to-back victories at a mile at Belmont Park.