Ward Confident in Golden Pal for Juvenile Turf Sprint
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Golden Pal takes the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Trainer Wesley Ward has cast a large shadow over the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) in its brief, two-year existence.
Each time, he has started a trio of 2-year-olds.
In year one, he finished second with Chelsea Cloisters. Then he was victorious with Four Wheel Drive.
So, it's hardly shocking that Ward, who specializes in developing fast 2-year-old turf runners, pre-entered 10 horses and will run four of them Nov. 6 in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
What's startling are his comments about one of those juveniles. In the Uncle Mo colt Golden Pal, Ward says he has a 2-year-old more advanced than last year's winner, Four Wheel Drive.
"Golden Pal has separated himself from the others. He's an extreme talent. He's more advanced than Four Wheel Drive," Ward said. "Of all the ones I have, I know who I would be betting on if I was a gambling man."
Golden Pal, a homebred owned by Ranlo Investments' Randy Lowe who drew post 14, has won only one of his three starts, but even the losses illustrate Ward's confidence in him. After finishing second in his April 17 debut on dirt at Gulfstream Park, Ward still sent him overseas to run in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, where he set the pace and lost by a neck to The Lir Jet.
Back home, Golden Pal's potential finally came to the fore in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga Race Course when Ward's maiden wired the field by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:00.88 at the Breeders' Cup distance of 5 1/2 furlongs, earning a glittering Beyer Speed Figure of 92.
"I couldn't believe he got beat in his first start. I really couldn't believe he got beat at Royal Ascot. Then he put it all together at Saratoga and showed what he really is," Ward said.
In a race that was trimmed to 14 starters from 24 pre-entrants, Ward's contingent also includes the filly Amanzi Yimpilo who defeated males in the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita Park to earn a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth in the race for owners CJ Thoroughbreds, Susan Moulton, and Marc Detampel.
Breeze Easy's After Five enters the Juvenile Turf Sprint as a maiden, though not for a lack of trying. He was second by a nose in his debut and runner-up by a half-length as the 2-1 favorite in the Futurity Stakes (G3T), another Challenge race.
M Racing Group's Into the Sunset comes into the Juvenile Turf Sprint with one win in four starts for Ward.
Owner/breeder Bryan Hilliard's Second of July won the Futurity and heads to Keeneland 2-for-2 after wins at 68-1 and 15-1 for trainer Phil Gleaves.
The field also includes Kristin Boice and Marylou Holden's Washington-bred Bodenheimer, who has captured three of four starts for trainer Valorie Lund, capped by a Breeders' Cup Challenge victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Indian Summer Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select at Keeneland.
Europe will be represented by a trio of Lipizzaner, who was fourth in the Norfolk for trainer Aidan O'Brien, Mighty Gurkha, and group 2 victor Ubettabelieveit.
Keeneland, Friday, November 06, 2020, Race 6Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Mighty Gurkha (IRE)
Hollie Doyle
122
Archie Watson
20/1
2
2Windy City Red (FL)
Jose Valdivia, Jr.
122
Jonathan Wong
30/1
3
3Lipizzaner (KY)
Ryan L. Moore
122
Aidan P. O'Brien
20/1
4
4County Final (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Steven M. Asmussen
15/1
5
5Cowan (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122
Steven M. Asmussen
8/1
6
6Ubettabelieveit (IRE)
Rowan Scott
122
Nigel Tinkler
20/1
7
7Momos (KY)
Manuel Franco
122
Christophe Clement
15/1
8
8Amanzi Yimpilo (IRE)
Luis Saez
119
Wesley A. Ward
15/1
9
9After Five (MD)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Wesley A. Ward
6/1
10
10Bodenheimer (WA)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
122
Valorie Lund
8/1
11
11Into the Sunrise (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
122
Wesley A. Ward
15/1
12
12Dirty Dangle (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
119
Mark E. Casse
20/1
13
13Second of July (KY)
Dylan Davis
122
Philip A. Gleaves
8/1
14
14Golden Pal (FL)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Wesley A. Ward
8/5
15
15Blame the Booze (KY)
Gerardo Corrales
122
Wesley A. Ward
30/1
16
16Gypsy King (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Wesley A. Ward
20/1
17
17Trade Deal (KY)
Julio A. Garcia
122
Wesley A. Ward
30/1
