Wesley Ward's Strike the Tiger wins at 33-1
 

Strike the Tiger won the Windsor Castle Stakes at 33-1 at Ascot. Certainly an accomplishment few expected.

http://drf.com/news/article/104699.html

NT

Very suprising and very cool for Wesley/Johnny

Cal breds that win their debut for a tag have historically done well in European stakes races.

Some South African breeder must be counting his/her blessings. Strike that Tiger is from Tiger Ridge's last US crop before he was exported.

Let's not get too excited. It was a $70k listed Stake, not a Group 1.

It's a pretty amazing achievement.

Yes it was only a 70k stake but from what everyone has said, he was an idiot to go and all his horses would run up the track, so I think its nice he got a win even if it is a 70k stake.

He's already made more money than they'd have made sitting in his barn back in the US. He's right that there is nowhere here for winners to run at this point in the year and if he felt these were the sort of horses that would no longer be ahead of the curve come August then it was the right move.

You're right and Cannonball also didn't run poorly. He ran on late for sixth beaten just over 5 lengths after trailing early.

Ken Ramsey was supposedly seen eating a heaping helping of bangers and mash.

NT

Shouldn't Americans have the edge over Euro's in an early season 2yo 5f turf race?

I didn't look at the race at all on paper - and maybe the horse deserved to be his price .. but I'll be impressed when something goes over there and wins at a classic distance. Getting young 2yo's to run impressive burts over short distances is like our greatest strength in relation to elsewhere.

Were there any ADW's that were offering this 5 day meet on there menu. I looked at Youbet and Twin Spires and didn't see them.

Ward still has 3 horses running during this meet that may still offer value and I was trying to see if you could get a few bucks down

TVG I think

Obviously as an early 2yo race, it was short but two of the biggest races of the meeting are the Kings Stand (won today by Sonic Blast) and the Golden Jubilee. Both are sprints. Many of the horses from today will be back on Sat for the Jubilee. Sprinting is huge internationally.

The better 2yo's at Ascot went in the Coventry (G2) today but this was not a bad race. It's the equivalent of a nice allowance. It IS telling that the Coventry went with 14 and the Windsor Castle went with 22. None of these babies was a firster, meaning that all of them has at least a race and some had 2-3. The runner up to Wards horse had 7 prior starts and another had 6. Here in the US you can't fill and allowance for babies and trainers ar all waiting for Saratoga or Del Mar or later. Ward was right, there is no place for him to run all his maiden winners so he might as well ship.
They ran 36 2yo's today at one of the most prestigious meets in Europe. they have more tomorrow (fillies in the G2 Queen Mary) and in NY they have run 2 (maybe 3) baby races all season. What the...????

TVG only, I believe.

Mike Watchmaker wrote a semi-interesting piece about the lack of baby races in NY so far this year - came out on DRF plus yesterday. But he called Seattle Smooth a "dirt freak" in the same article, so take it with a grain of salt.

This story is pretty cool, but Shuback's final line in his DRF story is laughable:

"Given the humble beginnings of the California-bred Strike the Tiger, his Windsor Castle victory rates as one of the happiest surprises in the history of American racing."

His Eurocentricity is really out of hand.

"history of American racing"

see you have to see it from a Brit's point of view, to them we have little if no history.

What a stupid statement.

What about DiamondSports or some other "off-shore" account?

Ward sounded like a really cool guy in interviews. Fair play to him for coming over. His success today will hopefully bring a few more over in the next few years. I'm just disappointed I didnt have some cash on him today, and Im sure all the value will be gone for his other runners. Plus Cannonball ran a nice enough race and will be sure to improve for the step back up to 6f. If only JJ The Jet Plane and Sacred Kingdom werent running, I'd fancy him.

Shuback isn't a Brit, he's an American, for what its worth. Listen to some of his interviews on Steve's show.

Maybe Wesley Ward's 2YOs should have an advantage (his previous success being known), but the rest of the field was much more experienced in terms of live racing.

The second place horse, Fratellino, was making his eighth career start. Only one other horse in the field of 21 opponents was making his/her second career start and that was the 8th place finisher, Angel's Pursuit.

Strike The Tiger won carrying 129 pounds and with no Lasix, it was a 19 pound impost from his maiden win at 110 pounds.

Historically, the performance was quite impressive.

John McCririck pronounced immediately after the race that this was a great moment for international racing and moved John Velazquez into elite company (US-based jocks winning at Royal Ascot). He also said that in the grand scheme of Royal Ascot, the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) is one of the weaker races of the meet.

That being said, there are 30 races at the meet and 16 are group events...so any non group race would be naturally weaker.

And THAT being said, Wesley Ward said that Strike The Tiger was thought to be one of his lesser tries while there.

The Windsor has typically been the weakest of the 2year old races, but looking over the past 2 years, it has produced some pretty good horses. On the other hand the Chesham has been awful.

Also, John McCririck talks some amount of rubbish (but he makes a little sense here)

No matter how you skin this cat, it's pretty cool.

Agree, Travis.

For what it's worth...here are the US pool payouts

Race: 6 Win Place Show
1st 18 STRIKE THE TIGER (USA) 39.20 9.60
2nd 7 FRATELLINO 20.40
3rd 6 DI STEFANO 16.80
$2 Exacta 18-7 2589.00
$2 Trifecta 18-7-6 11232.20

Ward was rather funny in his visit on ATR tonight if you didn't hear it... Also had the namesake owner of Yogaroo who runs Thursday, and then Mitch Durko who is one of the breeder-partners of Strike the Tiger and part owner of Jealous Again who runs Wednesday. He was wonderful. Beautifully summarized what the experience meant to him. TOBA should use what he said as a recruitment tool for prospective owners. If you missed the segment, I'd urge you to listen... It's a rather joyful 20 minutes.

I went and read the article, when Watchmaker writes an article I agree with (the 2yo part) I take it as one of the Seven Signs of the Apocalypse. Beware, locusts are next.

Did they order another round DURING the interview? Ha. Too funny. I loved the third question which you'd have thought required more than a one word answer...but that's what you got.

Too funny...HA! Good stuff.

Jealous Again just won the Queen Mary (G2) by 4+ lengths. Yeah, going to Royal Ascot sure was a stupid idea.

Aegean, who beat Jealous Again at CD, is going on Friday in a Group 3, 6f race.

Replay on Attheraces, good for Wesley Ward, I just hope he isn't doing anything hilarious becuase you know every person in that area are asking for serious drug testing right about now

Speaking of, anyone know how their testing is over there?

WW stated in the post race interview that none of the horses he brought are bleeders. Just goes to show how the use of Lasix is so complete. Every horse gets it whether they need it or not.
Also, it was very nice of him to mention Rene Douglas, who was scheduled to make the trip.

Wesley Ward is my hero!

:$: :$:

Are you dissing Ward for the drug use or the Euros for ther lax testing even tho they dont allow any drugs?

Yogaroo is now only 9-4 to win the Norfolk tomorrow. Just as choisir took royal ascot by storm in 2003 and changed the sprints at ascot for the better, could Wesley Ward change our juvenile races?

I must look up exactly what a happy surprise means.

I am doing neither, but given racing's perception when someone gets 'hot' that they are automatically cheating, I am saying that people around there are probably saying "What the hell is this guy using for his horses to run this way"

I don't know what the rules are over there, and/or if there is a drug problem, I don't follow racing overseas except for a couple days a year

Wesley Ward has been hot with 2YO no matter where they've been run - it is most definitely his specialty, and Europe is learning that now.

I suppose you have to get gutsy now and play against him if you hope to make anything.