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Month: February 2022
Trophies Stolen From Wesley Ward’s House
A thief broke into Wesley Ward's home in Versailles, Kentucky Tuesday morning and walked off with 12 trophies, including many that the trainer received at the Royal Ascot meet.
The story was first reported by the Lexington TV station WLEX.
The robber did not seem inclined to clear out Ward's house or take such valuable items as his laptop and desktop computer. Rather, only the 12 trophies were taken while several others were left behind, including Eclipse Award trophies. The thief took only the Ascot trophies and the trophy won by Judy the Beauty in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
“It's strange they took what they did and that and that only,” Ward said.
To make matters even more confusing, Ward said all the Ascot trophies were kept in a bag in a closet in a spare bedroom and he has no idea how someone knew they were there. Ward said the Versailles Police Department told him the criminal likely had an insider's knowledge of Ward's home and the hours he kept as a trainer.
Ward does not believe that the stolen trophies will bring the thief anything more than a few hundred dollars.
“They're really worth nothing except to my family and I,” he said. “I guess if you melt them down for the silver and gold you could get some money, but it wouldn't be that much. Their street value, what could they be worth? Maybe $50 per trophy.”
The real loss, he said, is their sentimental value.
“I was presented with a trophy from the Queen of England and she only gives out two trophies a year at Ascot,” he said. “One was for when Wes Welker's Undrafted won the (2015 G1) Diamond Jubilee. I had my kids on the podium with me when she gave us the trophy. That's a memory you can never forget. To have a part of it taken away is just terrible.”
Ward said he has already contacted British racing officials inquiring what it would take to order replacement trophies.
A Nest camera captured an image of the burglar entering the house at 10:53 a.m. but there was not a clear picture of the robber's face. The burglar entered through the backdoor, which was not locked.
“I live out in the country, three miles behind Keeneland,” Ward said. “I live on a country road that sits on Elkhorn Creek. Who would think someone is going to come around the back door on a country farm house and come in. In all the years I've been here I've never seen anyone walking around where I live.”
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Friday’s Stronach 5 Features Four Tracks In Under 60 Minutes
The Stronach 5 returns Friday with five competitive races from four tracks in less than 60 minutes.
The popular wager, which continues to produce a strong return on investment, will begin at 4:11 ET and end approximately 49 minutes later and feature races from Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields along with a low 12-percent takeout.
A look at Friday's Stronach 5:
Leg A: Gulfstream Race 8, 4:11 ET
6 furlongs Allowance Optional Claimer, fillies and mares
It was 4 ½ months ago that Alecka Star won her debut by 14 ½ lengths. The 4-year-old returns for the first time since for trainer Michael Yates and draws the rail. The second and third-place finishers from Alecka Star's debut won next time out. The speedy Domineer, a winner of five of 14 starts at Gulfstream, looks for her fourth win in her last five starts. Luis Saez rides. Kozy Dreams has finished second to Domineer in two of her last three starts. She's placed in 10 of 12 starts (five wins) at the distance.
Leg B: Laurel Race 9, 4:27 ET
6 furlongs, Maiden Claiming ($40,000), 3-year-olds
Full of Mischief, a $140,000 2-year-old purchase, goes out first time after being claimed for $25,000 by Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, who is 40-percent first off a claim. The gelded son of Into Mischief goes out first-time Lasix. Must be Love was game when finishing third in his debut Jan. 23 for Dale Capuano. Same can be said for Goldenize, who finished second over a sloppy track in his debut Jan. 20 for trainer Tim Keefe. Michael Trombetta sends out Mocephus, third against $25,000 claimers last out and a possible pacesetter here, and Whenigettoheaven, second against $25,000 claimers last out.
Leg C: Santa Anita Race 3, 4:37 ET
6 furlongs turf, Allowance Optional Claimer, 3-year-olds
Franklin One Star goes out for trainer Doug O'Neill in this event for Cal-breds after finishing fifth in the restricted Baffle Stakes. Smuggler's Run comes out of the same race. The Richard Baltas-trained gelding finished a troubled sixth in the Baffle after being steadied and lacking room down the stretch. Who's Candy was impressive breaking his maiden Jan. 1 against restricted company.
Leg D: Golden Gate Race 3, 4:53 ET
1 Mile, Maiden Claimer ($8,000), 3-year-olds
Lassie Cat and Savage Love drop from a $25,000 claimer Jan. 22 to this $8,000 level. Lassie Cat was third and Savage Love fourth after getting steadied. Rock N Roll Song goes out second time off the claim for trainer Quinn Howey. Ball Lass drops the blinkers and could be the speed.
Leg E: Laurel Race 10, 5 ET
About 1 1/16-mile, Claimer ($5,000), 4-year-olds and up
A wide-open $5,000 claimer. Only four of the 10 starters have won at the distance, and Cox's Ledge (Jeremiah Englehart) and Shoulda Had It (Linda Albert) are the only two with multiple wins at the distance. Both drop slightly Voltamour goes second out off a slight layoff for Kieron Magee. Has hit the board in six of his last eight. Magee's other starter, Paint Music for Me, is the only starter who won last out.
Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.
The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.
If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.
The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.
Ward’s Royal Ascot Trophies Stolen In Home Burglary During Training Hours
Trainer Wesley Ward was the victim of a home burglary during training hours on the morning of Feb. 8, in which a thief got away with 12 trophies, including several he won at Royal Ascot.
Ward said a home security camera caught a few images of a stranger in his Versailles, Ky., home around 10 a.m. Tuesday, but did not show the person's face.
It appeared the thief had some idea of what they were looking for. According to Ward, the Royal Ascot trophies were mostly in the form of watches inside silver and gold inscribed boxes, which he stored in their original jewelry boxes inside a bag in a closet.
“They were in a bag in the closet so they wouldn't get stolen,” he said. “They were not on display.”
After speaking with police on Wednesday morning, Ward said he is hopeful there's a chance the trophies — one of which was a Breeders' Cup trophy — could be recovered.
“It's just strange. Nobody comes in that house,” he said. “They were really of no value other than to me and to replace. Like, who's going to buy them?”
The thief, who bypassed a laptop and a desktop computer, also made off with one of Ward's Nest cameras. The security company has agreed to work with local police to get them any imagery that camera may have captured before it was pulled out of the wall.
Speaking with LEX 18 on Tuesday, Ward estimated the trophies would have a replacement value of some $100,000, but it's their sentimental value he feels more heavily. One of the trophies was presented to him by Queen Elizabeth II — a rare honor for any trainer, and one experienced by few American horsemen.
Still, Ward says he's taking the incident in stride.
“It's a shame, but what are you going to do?” he said. “Move on and win some more.
“You can't dwell on it, that's for sure. I gave myself one night, that was it.”
Ward is the most decorated American trainer at the Royal Ascot meet, having become the first to win there during the 2009 meet with Strike The Tiger in the Windsor Castle and Jealous Again in the Group 2 Queen Mary. His other Royal Ascot wins include the 2013 G2 Norfolk with No Nay Never, the 2014 Windsor Castle with Hootenanny, the 2015 G1 Diamond Jubilee with Undrafted, the 2015 G2 Queen Mary with Acapulco, the 2016 G2 Queen Mary with Lady Aurelia, the 2017 G1 King's Stand with Lady Aurelia, the 2017 Sandringham with Con Te Partiro, the 2018 G2 Norfolk with Shang Shang Shang, the 2020 Queen Mary with Campanelle, and the 2021 G1 Commonwealth Cup with Campanelle.
