Not only did Junius and Matilda Viley Ward construct the finest house of its type in Kentucky, but Junius and brother-in-law Capt. Willa Viley, first President of the Lexington Racing Association, also played a key role in the development of the Kentucky Thoroughbred, most notably through his ownership of the incomparable racehorse Lexington, who won the famous race at the Metairie Race Course at New Orleans in 1854 against Lecomte and who sired Kentucky, Asteroid and Norfolk among many others.

Ward was a Kentuckian of pioneer stock, born in Georgetown in 1802 to Col. William Ward and Sallie Johnson Ward.  His mother's parents, Col. Robert Johnson and Jemima Suggett Johnson, had departed their home in Orange County, Virginia in 1779 and established Johnson Station near Great Crossings, by 1783, just a mile from Ward Hall.

Ward and Viley owned and raced jointly Maria by Davis' Hamlintonian, out of Lady Grey (the grandma of Alice Carneal, the dam of Lexington).  From her, they bred Catherine Ogle, by Trumpator; William T. Barry by Dick Singleton; Catherine and Tom Benton by Bertrand; and Oglenah by Medoc.

They owned Black Eyed Susan by Tiger as early as 1821, and they raced her produce, such as Richard Singleton, Plato, Newcourt, Mistletoe, Dick Johnson, Emily Johnson, Catherine, etc.

From Catherine out of Maria by Davis' Hamlintonian, they bred and raced Alexander Churchill by imp. Zinganee, who ran four miles at Louisville in 7:41.  They bred and raced Mary Brennan, by Dick Singleton, Lady Scott, Evergreen, Goodwood, Verbena, Maggiore, Glendower, Heliotrope, Keene Richards and others.

After Captain Viley quit the turf, Mr. Ward and his nephew Mr. J.R. Viley, raced together for some years.  They owned Evergreen, by imp. Glencoe, dam Mistletoe by Cherokee, from whom they bred Goodwood, and Myrtle by Lexington, Maggiore by Lecomte; Verbena, Glendower and Heliotrope by Knight of Saint George, and Kene Richards by War Dance.

Ward was also a founding investor in the National Race Course in Louisville in 1858.

His obituary said he raced not for money, but from a love of turf sports.