Wesley Ward has built his career developing fast sprint horses, but as the years tick by, the trainer is beginning to set his sights on the longer distances of the American classics.
"As I'm starting to get the white hair now, I'm looking to get horses to go a little further," Ward said. "I've pretty much been centered in on fast horses and speed horses. I just thought it was time now to sort of get some horses into my barn that looked like they could go in the classic level."
On Sept. 9, on the second day of Book 1 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Ward put himself in the proper position for that goal by acquiring the full brother to 2022 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Early Voting .
Signing the ticket for Taylor Made Sales Agency-consigned Hip 243 at $2.2 million, Ward purchased the bay son of Gun Runner for a partnership that includes Ward's client, Roy Israel, and the colt's breeder, Three Chimneys Farm.
"I'm excited to get this colt and have an opportunity to train a colt like this," Ward said. "I was (determined to buy him), but there were a lot more people in there who wanted him as well who could certainly step right over top of me. Fortunately, we got him. I felt that was a very fair price for a colt with the pedigree and physical stature."
Ward called Gun Runner "the hottest sire going right now," a claim supported by this colt being the third of six seven-figure yearlings sired by the 2017 Horse of the Year sold Tuesday. He is also the sire of the Sept. 8 session topper who sold for $3.3 million. Gun Runner stood the 2025 season at Three Chimneys for a $250,000 fee.
The bay colt is out of the unraced Tiznow mare Amour d'Ete, a full sister to three-time graded stakes winner and thrice grade 1-placed Irap and half sister to champion sprinter and top sire Speightstown through the Storm Cat mare, Silken Cat. All four of her foals to race have won.
In addition to Preakness winner Early Voting, who also counts a victory in the Withers Stakes (G3) and runner-up finish in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) in his career accomplishments, Amour d'Ete produced the winning Constitution filly El Megeeth. In January, the 3-year-old filly set a track record on Gulfstream Park's synthetic while covering 1 3/16 miles in 1:54.11 for her maiden victory.
Ward was first introduced to the colt he purchased Tuesday during his annual July trip to Three Chimneys to survey the yearlings. This colt was the standout in his eyes.
"I fell in love with the colt and really looked forward to his future," Ward said. "I put a partnership together and told Roy how much I thought of this horse. He and (Three Chimneys chairman) Goncalo (Torrealba) had enough faith in me to get behind me where I was the one who signed the ticket."
In total, Ward signed the ticket for three yearlings on Tuesday. He purchased a Quality Road colt for (Hip 224) for $500,000 from Taylor Made's consignment and a Nyquist filly (Hip 262) for $425,000 from the Burleson Farms consignment.
