Young Ward Stars Head Thurby's Kentucky Juvenile

Apr 30, 2017 Gary Yunt

Trainer Wesley Ward, who beat the boys with the filly Silvertoni in 2016, will send out the filly Happy Like a Fool and Waterford Stable’s McErin as a coupled entry for Thursday’s 24^th running of the $100,000 Kentucky Juvenile for 2-year-olds going five furlongs on the main track.

The Kentucky Juvenile will go as the 10^th race on Thursday’s 11-race program with a 5:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time. First post time Thursday is 12:45 p.m.

Ward bred and owns Happy Like a Fool, who won her debut at Keeneland on April 9 by four lengths. Julio Garcia has the mount Thursday and will break from post position five.

Ward also will send out McErin, a 7 ½-length winner in his debut April 12 at Keeneland. Garcia also is named on McErin, who will break from post position two.

Also in the field are two Keeneland winners trained by John Hancock.

Donna Hancock and Charles Brown own both Amberspatriot, a debut winner on April 19, and Waki Patriot, a five-length winner in her second start April 20. Paco Lopez will ride Amberspatriot and break from post position three while Corey Lanerie will be on Waki Patriot and exit post position four.

The field for the Kentucky Juvenile, from the rail out, is: Trickizar (Didiel Ososio, 115 pounds), McErin (Garcia, 120), Amberspatriot (Lopez, 117), Waki Patriot (Lanerie, 117), Happy Like a Fool (Garcia, 117), Chateau (Arienne Cox, 122), Just Be Frank (Jesus Castanon, 118), Go Chiva Go (Joe Rocco, 118), Buy Sell Hold (Florent Geroux, 117) and Baytown Lex (Carson Sullivan, 118).

Also on the Thursday program is the 12^th running of the $65,000 Opening Verse overnight stakes for 3-year-olds and up going a mile on the turf. The Opening Verse will go as the ninth race with a 5:11 post time.

Heading the field of 13 is Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s Hootenanny.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Hootenanny will be making his 2017 debut. Winner of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI), Hottenanny will be ridden by Julio Garcia and break from post position 10.

The field for the Opening Verse, from the rail out, is: Trust Factor (Julien Leparoux, 122 pounds), Thatcher Street (Brian Hernandez Jr., 122), Monster Bea (Joe Rocco, 122), Black Sea (FR) (Florent Geroux, 122), Take the Stand (ARG) (Jose Lezcano, 122), Money Flows (Miguel Mena, 122), Taketothestreets (Declan Cannon, 122), Pleuven (FR) (Corey Lanerie, 122), Dimension (GB) (Chris Landeros, 122), Hootenanny (Garcia, 122), Western Reserve (Shaun Bridgmohan, 122), One Mean Man (Jesus Castanon, 122) and Shakimat (Mike Smith, 122).