Outfielder ready to captain Ward's Ascot team
Wesley Ward could have found the ideal candidate to end his four-year Royal Ascot drought, with Norfolk Stakes-bound Outfielder preparing to spearhead this year's raiding party for the American handler.
The son of Speightstown, who Ward retains an interest in, will sport the colours of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation at the Royal meeting and also has US baseball star Jayson Werth among his ownership – with the exciting colt named in honour of the World Series winner's achievements on the ballpark.
Ward told the PA news agency: 'Outfielder is going to be leading them on to the plane.
'He's very quick, very smart and a highly intelligent colt. He's a big colt and when you see him you will think he's a three-year-old and we're really excited.
$850,000 price tag and he can run alright! Outfielder kicks his rivals out of the way on debut for Wesley Ward and @amoracingltd at @ChurchillDowns!
Royal @Ascot next? pic.twitter.com/bUvuf19QI1
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 23, 2025
'Jayson Werth is a big name in baseball and Outfielder was his position and I chose the name and cleared it with Kia and when I told Jayson as a surprise, he was elated the horse was named after him.
'We'll have some others as well and we're looking forward to it as always – my family have been coming over for many years now. It's such an annual family affair and we always get excited for it.'
Since becoming the first American to score at the summer showpiece in 2009, Ward has gone on to win a further 11 times at the Royal meeting, but in recent years has been thwarted on his yearly visit to Berkshire, with Campanelle's Commonwealth Cup success in 2021 the last of his 12 triumphs.
However, Outfielder looked the perfect Royal Ascot model when surging to a bloodless six-and-a-quarter-length victory on debut at Churchill Downs recently and was immediately introduced to the Norfolk Stakes betting, for which he is as short as 3-1 and challenging Aidan O'Brien's Charles Darwin for favouritism in places.
The 57-year-old is now resisting any temptation to stretch the strapping colt out to six furlongs for the Coventry Stakes, believing 'it will take a very good horse to beat him' in a race he has claimed with No Nay Never (2013) and Shang Shang Shang (2018) in the past.
'I don't think stretching out to six furlongs is going to be a problem, especially when you see him, but not right now,' explained Ward.
'The Coventry would require a couple of runs and it's a race that is a very difficult race for two-year-olds at this time of year. It's won by a horse that is going to go on and race over further – like this colt will in time – but I would say going into it you would need a couple of runs before you go.
'He would need a little bit more seasoning for the Coventry, while the Norfolk will hit him right between the eyes. As fast as he is, he'll come out running and it will take a very good horse to beat him.'
Outfielder cost $850,000 at the sales, but has looked to be worth every cent since the outset, with Ward blown away by the colt's attributes.
Ward added: 'We took him to multiple different tracks in south Florida and did zero speed works and just galloped, he galloped a few times on the grass and seemed to love it – he floated over the grass.
'In April we started taking him out the gate a few times and in his first work, when we let him go just an eighth of a mile, we were like 'wow' – it was a real eye-opener to see a big horse to be so quick and agile and moving like a cat.
'Joel Rosario had breezed him from the onset and we had him scheduled to run on the dirt at Aqueduct but the race didn't go. Knowing how he moved so well on the grass in Florida, I opted to run at Churchill Downs.
'Joel was committed to riding in New York and I put Johnny Velazquez on Outfielder and he was just so excited and he got off with a beaming smiling and as we could all see, it was a big run.
'I'm excited to have a really solid horse coming over who should have an excellent chance at heading into the winner's enclosure and we're excited.'
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