Ward, Ramsey Settle Lawsuit Over Unpaid Training Bills Ahead Of Civil Trial Date

Less than two weeks before a civil trial was due to begin, trainer Wesley Ward and owner Ken Ramsey have settled a 2021 lawsuit that centered on more than $1 million in training bills Ward said Ramsey owed him.

The case file for the suit, which had been filed in Jessamine Circuit Court in Kentucky, shows an agreed order releasing escrowed funds, though the text of that order isn’t available.

Craig Robertson, attorney for Ramsey, told The Blood-Horse’s Dick Downey that the case had been settled and the settlement was confidential, which is not uncommon in civil suits.

Earlier in the two-year saga, Ramsey had placed $1,014,614.96 – the amount Ward claimed he was owed -- into escrow with the court while Ramsey continued to dispute what the final total should be. Ramsey claimed his purchase of some equipment for Ward’s use should reduce the bill, and in the later part of the case, made allegations about Ward’s training of his horses, claiming Ward was in breach of contract.

Ward brought suit against Ramsey in March 2021, claiming he was owed $974,790.40, a figure that included overdue bills, purses, and interest. Trainer Mike Maker also sued Ramsey for $905,357.29 around the same time for bills he said went back almost four years, and entered into a confidential settlement a few months later. Ramsey didn’t dispute that he had fallen behind on payments to both trainers, citing cash flow problems due to delayed sales of some of his real estate holdings. At the time of the suit, Ward still had Ramsey horses in his barn, which meant despite payments made by Ramsey after the start of the lawsuit, the total snowballed.

Both parties released statements to The Blood-Horse voicing mutual respect and a desire to move on.