Golden Pal Shines in Turf Sprint, Earns Second BC Win

Golden Pal  did precisely what trainer Wesley Ward predicted he would do in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar, exploding out of the gate to clear the field in a matter of strides and denying the rest of the field any hope before they even hit the bend.

The 3-year-old Uncle Mo   colt never slowed down in the stretch, cruising to a 1 1/4-length win in :55.22 and becoming a two-time Breeders' Cup winner.

Last week Ward telegraphed the result to BloodHorse readers when he said Golden Pal "is probably going to end up being the best horse I've ever trained" and that "if he gets away from there in the first jump ... the race will be his to lose."

Today Ward saw enough to take off the "probably" and declare his feelings unconditionally.

"He's got the title—he's the best horse (I've ever trained)," said the trainer, who picked up his sixth Breeders' Cup win. "I hope everyone in horse racing has a horse like this, as special as he is."

The raw talent is what attracted Golden Pal to Coolmore and Westerberg when they purchased him from breeder Randall Lowe after last year's win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T), which came in similar fashion. Ward was the original trainer and the catalyst behind the transaction.

"He's always had a high opinion of the horse," said Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, gesturing to Ward. "We got together and got the deal done."

The sight of a Ward-trained sprinter outbreaking the field is a common occurrence and one that doesn't happen by accident. Ward's horses typically get introduced to the starting gate as yearlings at his Kentucky farm and have plenty of experience leaving it before ever stabling at a racetrack.  

"We want them to be used to it, not scared of it, in there a little bit more relaxed," Ward said. "When we start breaking them, that's something we start with right away."

That gate work was also evident with Ward's Nov. 5 Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, Twilight Gleaming , but Golden Pal's break was more astonishing.

"I knew if he broke with them that his quickness and his agility would just bounce him out like he did," Ward said. "And not only did he break with them, he broke in front of them. And then Irad, I think he was a little bit surprised the first few strides how he just kind of opened up like he did on such fast horses."

The 5-2 favorite blitzed the field through a quarter-mile in :22.25, a half-mile in :43.91, and finished the five-furlong test in :55.22 on firm turf. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Golden Pal scored a 1 1/4-length victory over Lieutenant Dan . Charmaine's Mia  placed third.

Ortiz rode both of the Ward winners this weekend and also rode Golden Pal in last year's Juvenile Turf Sprint victory.

"He was ready today," Ortiz said. "I was happy to get the lead easily, and he responded to me when I asked him for the run down the stretch. I was confident coming for home, and he still felt very strong."

As a two-time Breeders' Cup winner by Coolmore's Uncle Mo, it seems Golden Pal is destined to one day join his sire at stud. Before that, though, Ward and his owners are keen to increase his value by duplicating his best efforts overseas, and perhaps even on dirt.

"It would be a shame to retire such a good horse that's just starting to peak now," Ward said. "He's so sound, he's lightly raced, and his stallion value—if he can do this over on the other side at Ascot, it just makes him worth so much more. He's not just a turf sprinter—I kept him on (that surface) because he was a little fragile early on—but his workouts on the dirt have been eye-openers. So that's something that would also be in consideration."

Ward suggested a return to Royal Ascot would be targeted for Golden Pal's 4-year-old season. He was second by a neck in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) as a 2-year-old. If he could nail down a group 1 in Europe, then he might aim to try the main track in next year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

"The Breeders' Cup will be at his home track, Keeneland, and we already know what he can do there," Ward said. "All of his workouts on the dirt there have been impressive. He just cruises over it. So when we get to that point we would have a decision to make."

Golden Pal is the first foal out of Lady Shipman , who was second in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland. The mare foaled an Omaha Beach   colt this year and was sent back to Uncle Mo for 2022.

Nick Alexander's Lieutenant Dan ran what would be a winning race in most renewals of this event, futilely chasing Golden Pal in second throughout but finishing 3 1/2 lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

"He ran probably the best race of his life," trainer Steve Miyadi said. "He wasn't ready to run against a rocketship."

This was Ward's first win in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint after 11 previous tries, including three times going down as the favorite. After convincing Coolmore to purchase Golden Pal, the pressure was on Ward to back up his recommendation and deliver some return on the investment.

"It was a lot of money," Ward said, "and really it was a lot more money than he was worth until today."

Video: Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T)