Ward Barn Fire Claims Three Horses

[Wandering Eyes]

A lightning strike ignited a fire which claimed three horses at a Lexington barn owned by trainer Wesley Ward. The trio included Strike the Tiger (Tiger Ridge), who gave Ward his first victory at the Royal Ascot meeting when he won the 2009 Windsor Castle S. Also killed was the 5-year-old maiden winner Modesto (Uncle Mo) and a Hootenanny 2-year-old gelding.

“The investigators just left and they determined that lightning hit the main service pole and it sent all the electricity right to the box in my barn and caused the fire,” Ward said Sunday evening.

Since his own win at Royal Ascot, Strike the Tiger had become a regular companion for Ward trainees heading over to the prestigous meet.

“He had been with me forever and he started us off at Royal Ascot,” Ward said of the 15-year-old gelding. “We had just flown Dr. Wayne McIlwraith in to do surgery on his hock–he had a little issue with his hock–so he would be up in time to go back to Royal Ascot. That's why he was in the barn. It's heartbreaking. We are just sick about it.”

Of Modesto, who broke his maiden at Keeneland last April, Ward added, “He was going to go on to have a stallion career at a smaller farm.”

News of the fire was first reported by Horse Racing Nation.

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