Wesley Ward | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wesley Ward’s Stolen Trophies Recovered

LEXINGTON, KY–The majority of the trophies that were stolen just over a month ago from trainer Wesley Ward's home in Versailles, Kentucky have been recovered. According to the Versailles Police Department's Assistant Chief Rob Young, one individual was charged with receiving stolen property and is now in custody.

On the morning of Feb. 8, 2022, a thief walked off with 14 trophies, including many that Ward received from the Royal Ascot meet, but they did not take any other valuables from the home such as electronics and several other trophies were left behind.

Ward was informed of his recovered trophies on Thursday.

Update: Thank you to all who retweeted about my family's stolen trophies. They have been recovered by the Versailles PD and the criminals have been arrested! The criminals have ruined the trophies to get the precious metals, but we are proud to get justice served! pic.twitter.com/c6rbnpbRUm

— Riley Ward (@riley_ward1) March 10, 2022

“We got a call from detective Steve Sparkman of the Versailles Police Department and he brought me in and said they had recovered the majority of the trophies,” Ward said. “There are still a few missing. Those trophies are not worth anything monetarily, so at least we got them back and the memories are still there.”

Assistant Chief Young said that seven of the missing trophies have been recovered.

“It's not the outcome that we wanted because they were heavily damaged,” he admitted. “Versailles police worked with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the Lexington Police Department and we recovered them in Lexington on Wednesday. The case is ongoing. We're trying to recover additional trophies as well as identify all parties involved.”

Due to the ongoing status of the case, Young could not share any further information on the subject in custody.

Ward said that while the recovered trophies were burnt down in order to obtain any precious metals, he added that they were still recognizable and the Royal Ascot insignia could still be seen. When the trophies first went missing, Ward had said he would inquire about seeking replacement trophies, but now says he wishes to keep the recovered trophies despite their damage.

“We'll keep what we have,” he said. “We'll have to dust them off and clean them up, but we're happy to have them back.

Ward credits his son, Riley, for his hand in recovering the trophies by reaching out to various local news outlets including WKYT and LEX18NEWS.

“My son has been there for all these wins and was on the platform when we got all these trophies,” he said. “It really hit him hard so he's the one that reached out to the news outlets. I can't thank them enough because according to Detective Sparkman, that's one of the biggest reasons they were found is because they got a tip from someone and there was a lot of loose talk I guess, so thank God for my boy. He's the one that recovered them.”

The post Wesley Ward’s Stolen Trophies Recovered appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ward Barn Fire Claims Three Horses

A lightning strike ignited a fire which claimed three horses at a Lexington barn owned by trainer Wesley Ward. The trio included Strike the Tiger (Tiger Ridge), who gave Ward his first victory at the Royal Ascot meeting when he won the 2009 Windsor Castle S. Also killed was the 5-year-old maiden winner Modesto (Uncle Mo) and a Hootenanny 2-year-old gelding.

“The investigators just left and they determined that lightning hit the main service pole and it sent all the electricity right to the box in my barn and caused the fire,” Ward said Sunday evening.

Since his own win at Royal Ascot, Strike the Tiger had become a regular companion for Ward trainees heading over to the prestigous meet.

“He had been with me forever and he started us off at Royal Ascot,” Ward said of the 15-year-old gelding. “We had just flown Dr. Wayne McIlwraith in to do surgery on his hock–he had a little issue with his hock–so he would be up in time to go back to Royal Ascot. That's why he was in the barn. It's heartbreaking. We are just sick about it.”

Of Modesto, who broke his maiden at Keeneland last April, Ward added, “He was going to go on to have a stallion career at a smaller farm.”

News of the fire was first reported by Horse Racing Nation.

The post Ward Barn Fire Claims Three Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Kimari Returns to Winning Ways at Gulfstream

3rd-Gulfstream, $55,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-3, 4yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.10, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.

KIMARI (m, 5, Munnings–Cozze Up Lady {GSW, $407,169}, by Cozzene), tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant debut back in 2019, was a close second in that year's G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and won two other stakes. Second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup when returning to the royal meeting in 2020, she captured a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's Spring Fever S. in February of 2020. Following suit with a win in Keeneland's GI Madison S. in April, she was sent to the sidelines for seven months and made an ambitious return in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. Nov. 6, but could only manage seventh for Ten Broeck Farm. Sent to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Kimari was purchased by Coolmore's M.V. Magnier for $2.7 million and returned to trainer Wesley Ward's care. Hammered down to 1-20 favoritism in this five-horse affair, the bay broke with the field, but settled back into fourth through the initial stages. Swung out three wide by Joel Rosario, Kimari hustled up the outside to take control after an opening quarter in :22.41. Confronted by Liberty M D (Constitution) as the half went in :45.66, the chalk shook free of that foe at the top of the lane and it was clear sailing from there. Kimari powered clear under a hand ride to win as she pleased by 5 1/4 lengths. Liberty M D held second. China Horse Club purchased GSW Cozze Up Lady for $300,000 at the 2014 FTKNOV sale and Kimari was her second foal. She had a Quality Road colt named Imola in 2019 and a Constitution colt in 2021. Cozze Up Lady is currentlyexpecting a foal by Tiz the Law. Sales history: $152,000 Ylg '18 FTKJUL; $2,700,000 4yo '21 FTKNOV. Lifetime Record: GISW, 12-7-2-1, $801,777. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Smith, Derrick, Magnier, Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B., Westerberg Limited and Poulin, Jonathan; B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.

The post Kimari Returns to Winning Ways at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.”

The post Trophies Stolen From Wesley Ward’s House appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post