War Horse Ward ‘N Jerry Chasing Second Win In The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series

Ward 'n Jerry, an old war horse that has been with trainer Mike Puype so long he's considered part of the family, seeks his second victory in Saturday's “The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series” at Santa Anita Park.

Ward 'n Jerry won the second leg of the challenging marathon on Feb. 20, coming from well off the pace as usual to take the mile and a quarter turf event by a head as the 4-5 favorite under Flavien Prat who is back aboard Saturday.

The “Tin Man” series provides distance-progressive opportunity for older horses that have started for a claiming price of $40,000 or less dating back to 2019 to run in four races that began at a mile and one eighth on Jan. 18 and will conclude at a mile and three-quarters on April 24.

In addition to the winner's share from this Saturday's Tin Man, the winner will get a free berth into either the Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf May 29, or the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano at 1 ¾ miles on turf June 19.

The series is named in honor of Ralph and Aury Todd's homebred son of Affirmed, The Tin Man, who was foaled in 1998 and raced through age nine in 2007. Trained by Richard Mandella, The Tin Man was a multiple graded stakes winner and a two-time Grade 1 winner at age nine, after which he was retired with earnings of more than $3.6 million.

“Our hope is this distance series serves as a throwback to some of the legendary horses that have competed at Santa Anita and the races provide good betting opportunities,” said Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz.

“This race came up a lot tougher than the last one,” said Puype, who has had California-bred Ward 'n Jerry going on six years now for owners/breeders Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams, longtime successful supporters of racing in The Golden State.

“This is a very solid race for the purse level, no doubt ($47,000, plus up to $5,640 to Cal-bred winners),” Puype said. “You've got Oscar Dominquez and Red King (each a Grade 2 stakes winner) running for $47,000. Tartini's not bad, either, so it's no easy race by any stretch.

“But we've surely got a good chance. He's got a great rider (Flavien Prat, who pilots the 8-year-old Lucky Pulpit gelding for the eighth time, winning twice); we're ready to go.”

Ward 'n Jerry has a 7-2-4 record from 27 starts with earnings of $434,419.

“I've had Ward 'n Jerry since his 2-year-old season (back in 2015),” Puype said. “He's very nice to have around and it's nice to have a horse for that many years. He's been here longer than any of them. He's kind of like the chairman of the board at the barn.”

Leg three of The Tin Man series, which goes as race five: Lure Him In, Edwin Maldonado, 5-1; Red King, Umberto Rispoli, 5-2; Ward 'n Jerry, Flavien Prat, 3-1; New Year, Tyler Baze, 50-1; Oscar Dominguez, Mario Gutierrez, 4-1; The Stiff, Alexis Centeno, 12-1; Tartini, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; and Irish Heatwave, Abel Cedillo, 8-1.

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Santa Anita Launches ‘The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series’ This Saturday

Santa Anita's inaugural “The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series” will debut this Saturday, as older horses will be provided an opportunity to run in a series of four races, beginning at a mile and one eighth on up to a mile and three quarters on grass. In addition to the opportunity to earn substantial purse money, horses will also be competing to earn a free berth in a pair of marathon turf stakes, either the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes May 29, or the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes on June 20.

The series is named in honor of Ralph and Aury Todd's homebred son of Affirmed, The Tin Man, who was foaled in 1998 and raced through age nine in 2007. Trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, The Tin Man was a multiple graded stakes winner who was a two time Grade 1 winner at age nine. Retired following his 9-year-old campaign, The Tin Man banked more than $3.6 million.

Leg One of The Tin Man series on Saturday will be contested at a mile and one eighth on turf. Leg Two, on Feb. 20, will be run at a mile and one quarter, Leg Three, on March 20 will be run at a mile and one half and the fourth leg will be contested at a mile and three quarters down Santa Anita's Camino Real Hillside Turf Course on April 17.

The Tin Man Starter Distance Series will be open to older horses which have started for a claiming tag of $40,000 or less from 2019 to the present.

“Our hope is that this distance series will serve as a throwback to some of the legendary horses that have competed here at Santa Anita and that these races are going to provide good betting opportunities,” said Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “I think our fans and horsemen are going to be excited to see these races run over the downhill Camino Real Course, which has such a rich history.”

Entries for this Saturday at Santa Anita will be taken Wednesday morning. Although there is still no public admittance, fans can view all Santa Anita races free of charge at santaanita.com/live and they can watch and wager via several ADW platforms, including 1st.com/Bet.

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Florida Thoroughbred History Moments: Affirmed Enthralled Nation With Triple Crown Triumph

Florida-bred Affirmed led his nemesis Alydar to the most thrilling finishes on his way to winning the Triple Crown in 1978, bringing it home to Florida for 37 years.

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has launched a digital campaign promoting the successful history of Florida-breds born and raised in the Sunshine State.

The series titled “Florida Thoroughbred History Moment” features an opening and closing image of an old-timey newsreel much like those featured in movie theaters in the 1940s. Along with the sound of the whirr of the newsreel, each video is narrated by the distinctive voice of Hugh Kelly giving an even more nostalgic feel. Based in Florida, Kelly lends his voice perfectly to the series.

Each 'Florida Thoroughbred History Moment' vignette highlights a significant achievement in Florida-bred history focusing on the people, the horses and the farms that have contributed to its success since the industry kicked off in earnest after Needles' 1956 Kentucky Derby win.

Check out the previous installments of Florida History Moments here:

Derby Winner Unbridled's Presence Felt Today In North American Bloodlines

Silver Charm Flies The Florida Flag Around The World

Needles' Derby Triumph Sparks Florida's Thoroughbred Industry

Dr. Fager Goes So Fast He Gets A Speeding Ticket

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‘Florida Thoroughbred History Moments’ Focus On Sunshine State’s Successful Industry

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has launched a digital campaign promoting the successful history of Florida-breds born and raised in the Sunshine State.

The series titled “Florida Thoroughbred History Moment” features an opening and closing image of an old-timey newsreel much like those featured in movie theaters in the 1940s. Along with the sound of the whir of the newsreel, each video is narrated by the distinctive voice of Robert Clotworthy giving an even more nostalgic feel. Clotworthy is the narrator for the History Channel series Ancient Aliens and The Curse of Oak Island and he lends his voice perfectly to the series.

Each 'Florida Thoroughbred History Moment' vignette highlights a significant achievement in Florida-bred history focusing on the people, the horses and the farms that have contributed to its success since the industry kicked off in earnest after Needles' 1956 Kentucky Derby win.

The first history moment on Needles launched the series with the signature line given in Clotworthy's deepest voice, “And now a Florida Thoroughbred History Moment… “

Needles put the state on the map as the first horse born in Florida to win the Kentucky Derby and he later set another milestone winning the first Belmont Stakes. His acclaim led many to visit Central Florida to see for themselves the Thoroughbreds raised on limestone rich soil and drinking from the spring fed aquifers. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, local lore has it that more people bought real estate in Marion County thanks to Needles' fame more than any realtor's effort.

The second video in the series focuses upon the O'Farrells' Ocala Stud, the oldest active stud farm in the state. Still using their original stud barn and training barn, which is the oldest wooden horse barn in the state, Ocala Stud's 1960's slogan 'If you want a runner look to Ocala Stud' is featured prominently.

In 1968, Dr. Fager became the world's fastest miler and still holds the record today. The swift horse is featured in the series with a reminiscence photo of him coming home to Ocala greeted by school children holding signs saying, “Dr. Fager is No. 1” and “Welcome Home Champion.” Also, as part of that welcome back, local police pulled over the trailer with the horse inside on Highway 200. Dr. Fager was issued a speeding ticket for 'reckless speed' for his stellar performance ontrack, and the ticket noted his make and style as 'horse' and 'fast'. Additionally, he was inducted into the local Chamber of Commerce.

The next video in the series features Unbridled and the great television moment between trainer Carl Nafzger and owner Mrs. Francis Genter. The poignant moment was captured by NBC during the horse's legendary Kentucky Derby run. His legacy as a sire of champions for more than four decades is also highlighted.

Winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Silver Charm showcased the talent coming out of the Ocala Breeders' Sales and gave rising stars Bob Baffert and the McKathan Brothers the limelight. The gray gained international fame winning the Dubai World Cup, then later joining the stallion ranks in Japan. The vignette also points out Michael Blowen's love for the horse which led to the creation of Old Friends farm and the moment Blowen's dream came true when Silver Charm came back to the states and retired there.

Of course, no Florida series would be complete without Affirmed, the state's Triple Crown winner and longest title holder at 37 years. His hard fought wins in the classics over Alydar are some of the greatest moments in sports rivalry history.

The videos also feature the FTBOA logo and the Discover Florida Horses logo developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The campaign is an example of the global promotions of thoroughbreds and the thoroughbred industry in state of Florida. The video series is available for use by farms and businesses promoting Florida Thoroughbreds and is also aired regularly on Horse Capital Television.

The series is also part of a newly launching campaign on social media focusing on Facebook groups that have an interest in Thoroughbred history and the sport of horse racing. The series can also be seen on the FTBOA YouTube channel.

The goal is to expand the series into 'Florida Thoroughbred History Profiles' over coming years to include the oral history handed down from horseman to horseman. The first two profiles aired in September and featured 2017 Godolphin award honoree Lugusta “Gus” Gray who has worked more than 50 years on farms, first for Fred Hooper and now Donald Dizney's Double Diamond Farm.

FTBOA's Associate Vice President-Membership Services and Events, Tammy A. Gantt scripts and produces each segment. The series was a brainchild of hers thanks to her love of the history of the sport and her more than 25 years in the Florida industry.

Lonny Powell, CEO of FTBOA said, “The goal of our video series and social media campaign is to showcase the history of success of Florida horses, horsemen and farms. We began this program more than two years ago and have added to the series, expanded it and now rolled it into other platforms like social media which we've seen significantly grow since the pandemic began earlier this year.”

He added, “The series can continue for quite some time as we've had 52 national champions, six Kentucky Derby champions, seven Preakness winners, six Belmonts, 28 Breeders' Cup wins, 66 Eclipse Awards and more than 170 Florida-bred millionaires and growing.”

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