Sherrill W. Ward

Sherrill Ward learned the craft of conditioning racehorses from his father, who was also a trainer. Ward began galloping thoroughbreds for his father as a teenager at Saratoga and saddled his first winner in Ohio when he was 18 at Kenney Park in 1929.

Inducted

1978

Born

March 14, 1911, Miami, Florida

Died

Feb. 23, 1984, Hollywood Florida

Career

1929-1975

Biography

Winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1974, Ward that year saddled Hall of Famer Forego for three championships — Sprinter, Older Male, and Horse of the Year. Ward handled Forego for three seasons for Martha F. Gerry, sending out the gelding for victories at distances ranging from seven furlongs in the Vosburgh Handicap to two miles in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Forego won the 1975 Brooklyn under 132 pounds and the Suburban that year under 134.

After training Summer Tan through an outstanding juvenile campaign in 1955, Ward brought him back from a near-fatal blood clot to win major stakes in 1957 and 1958.

Ward trained Idun, champion juvenile filly in 1958 and champion 3-year-old filly the following year. Other stakes winners he saddled included Wise Daughter, Come Hither Look, Treacherous, Indian Sunlite, Greek Spy, and Maid of France. Overall, Ward trained 20 stakes winners.