Wesley A. Ward

Who is Wesley A. Ward?

Wesley A. Ward is a retired American Champion jockey and a current trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing. He grew up in the horse racing industry, the son of trainer Dennis Ward.

In 1984, Wesley Ward was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey following a season in which he won riding championships at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and the Meadowlands Racetrack and rode 335 winners. He went on to compete at racetracks in Italy, Malaysia and Singapore before his battles with weight gain led to retirement in 1989.

Wesley Ward turned to training, first as an assistant to his father before going out on his own in 1993. He earned his first stakes win as a trainer in 1994 at Hollywood Park, winning the Cinema Handicap. Based in California, he also races at Gulfstream Park in Florida during the winter months. He has had 3 children, Riley Ward, Denae Ward, and Jackson Ward. His son, Riley, is currently enrolled in Pine Crest School.

On June 16, 2009, Ward became the first U.S.-based conditioner to ship a horse to England and win a stakes race at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting. Strike the Tiger, a 2-year-old gelding co-bred and co-owned by Ward, shocked the meet by taking the Windsor Castle Stakes at odds of 33-1. The following day, Ward sent out a 2-year-old filly named Jealous Again to claim an even bigger Ascot victory. She took the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes by a comfortable five lengths.