Trainer Ward Sends Talented Duo to Juv. Turf

Wesley Ward, who has specialized in bringing North American-bred runners to Europe to successfully compete at the highest levels for the past few years, is in a unique place to judge the competition for his two entrants in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) Oct. 31 at Santa Anita Park.

Ward, who trains all over the United States, will send out both Hootenanny and Luck of the Kitten in the one-mile Juvenile Turf. Luck of the Kitten made his first foray to California in October, winning the Zuma Beach Stakes wire-to-wire over the Santa Anita lawn going the Juvenile Turf distance.

Hootenanny, though, has done his racing both domestically and abroad. Having begun the season with a maiden-breaking win at Keeneland in April, he ran third in a stakes before going off to Europe in June. At Royal Ascot in June Hootenanny won the Windsor Castle Stakes by 3 ½ lengths. He then came back to the States, and then shipped to France, where he came up a half-length short in the Darley Prix Morny (Fr-I).

“It is no problem travelling,” said Ward. “It’s easy. Of course, you have to bring a real quality horse over there, a Breeders’ Cup-type horse. When you finish a half-length back against Europe’s best, it leaves you scratching your head about what you could have done better.”

Since returning to the States (again), Hootenanny, a son of Quality Road   out of the Hennessy mare More Hennessy, has whipped through a series of five-furlong moves over the Keeneland turf, including a pair of bullet works in October that both went in 1:01 and change.

Having faced top-shelf competition on their home field and proven none the worse for wear, Coolmore’s Hootenanny is prompting confidence from his trainer.

“He is certainly the more accomplished of the two,” said Ward, whose second-place finish with returning runner Judy the Beauty in the Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) last year behind Groupie Doll represented his best Breeders’ Cup result to date. “Who is best will be decided that day.”

Luck of the Kitten, like his stablemate, has four races under his belt heading into the Breeders’ Cup. He didn’t start until mid-July at Saratoga Race Course, fading late at 1 1/16 miles to finish second. He broke his maiden at Arlington International Racecourse next out at a mile before a runner-up effort in a stakes at Kentucky Downs. The speedy son of Kitten's Joy  , out of the Giant's Causeway   mare Anura, took the Zuma Beach on the front end by 1 ¾ lengths. He races as a homebred for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

“You hope he didn’t do too much in that race,” Ward said. “You don’t want the race before the Breeders’ Cup to be the best one.”

Mike Smith will have the mount on Luck of the Kitten in the Juvenile Turf; Frankie Dettori has the mount on Hootenanny.

Only two others in the field, Aktabantay and War Envoy, have competed in group/grade I company, and neither came close to winning. With Luck of the Kitten figuring to be on the pace and Hootenanny sitting just off it, Ward has a double-barrel attack on the race.

“We’re ready to go,” he said.