Ward sends out class of field

The curtain comes down Saturday night at Turfway Park with a tip of the cap. The northern Kentucky track will pay tribute to its most famous graduate, Animal Kingdom, while putting a bow on four months of winter racing.

The $50,000 Animal Kingdom anchors a nine-race card. Formerly sponsored by WEBN Radio, the 6 1/2-furlong Polytrack race for 3-year-olds honors the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner whose final prep came in Turfway’s Spiral Stakes. It’s the sixth race on a card that starts at 6:15 p.m. Eastern, with the feature going at 9:33 and the last race at 11:03.

Wesley Ward, whose quiet

winter in Florida is reflected in part by the fact he will be the leading trainer at the Turfway winter-spring meet, has the top contender in the Animal Kingdom in Hemp Hemp Hurray (post 8, Julio Garcia), an Ontario-bred whose five races, all over turf, suggest he should adapt well to the synthetic. Owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey won the 2016 Queen’s Plate with Sir Dudley Digges and are keeping Hemp Hemp Hurray in mind for the 2018 renewal of Canada’s most prestigious race.

Ward has a second starter in the field of nine in The Queens Jules (post 3, John Cruz), a winner of his lone start. The top threat to the uncoupled Ward duo appears to be Ceduna (post 7, Euclyn Prentice Jr.), an eyecatching winner of his Feb. 22 debut.

Racing at Turfway this winter consisted of the holiday meet (Nov. 29 to Dec. 31) and winter-spring meet (Jan. 1 to Saturday). Ward began this week with 15 wins, three ahead of Susan Anderson atop the winter-spring trainer standings, while Malcolm Franklin began the week with a 33-30 lead over Victor Lebron among riders.

After Saturday, the Kentucky circuit goes dark for its longest stretch of the year, five days, before the 16-day Keeneland spring meet begins Friday, April 6.

KEY CONTENDERS

Hemp Hemp Hurray, by Artie Schiller Last 3 Beyers: 81-51-80

◗ His victory in the Tyro at Monmouth and runner-up finish in the Summer at Woodbine make him the class of the race and the obvious one to beat.

◗ He had a poor start in his last race, a fourth-place finish in the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita.

Ceduna, by Denman Beyer: 77

◗ Trained by Tom Upton, he won his debut despite Prentice losing his whip.