No Nay Never hangs on to win Woodford comebacker

Ward was asked whether turf is the colt's best surface.

"No, I think he can do both (turf and dirt)," Ward said. "This turf course

here is just so kind and forgiving. He's a big, blocky, extremely fast horse --

I thought this would be a great spot to bring him back and springboard him back

into what we're going to do.

"We're going to sit down and talk with (co-owners) Dave Reid, Frank Antonacci

and the boys at Coolmore and see what direction they want to go. He's equally as

good on the dirt. I just wanted to bring him back into this, see how he comes

back, and more likely than not (go to) the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)."

No Nay Never broke forwardly from post 8 and contested the lead during the

opening stages of the 5 1/2-furlong affair, dueling through an opening

quarter-mile in :21 2/5 and a half-mile in :44 2/4 with Spring to the Sky. The

front-runner shook clear of his rival leaving the far turn, reaching midstretch

with a clear advantage, but things got interesting late.

Mongol Bull closed extremely wide into the stretch and came flying home

before running out of room on the wire. No Nay Never stopped the teletimer in

1:03 2/5 on the "good" turf and returned a $6 win mutuel as the narrow 2-1

favorite among 10 opponents.

Sharp Sensation, the 9-2 third choice, finished a neck of the runner-up. It

was another 1 3/4-length margin back to No Distinction in fourth.

Spring to the Sky, 2-1 second choice Marchman, Console, Positive Side,

Choctaw Chuck and Tell All You Know completed the order of finish. Sum of the

Parts was scratched.

Named the French two-year-old colt highweight, No Nay Never has now earned

$$498,819 from his 5-4-1-0 record. He was bred in Kentucky by Jayne Doi Johnson

and David Sparrow.

Out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Cat's Eye Witness, No Nay Never sold

for $170,000 as a 2011 Keeneland November weanling before being purchased for

$95,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. This is the immediate

female family of multiple Grade 2-winning millionaire Event of the Year; Grade 1

scorer Tamarando; Grade/Group 2 winners Half a Year and Winning Pact; and Grade

3 victor Cat's Career.

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