Turf Specialist Golden Pal Works, May Swap Surfaces

Dual Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal  may go back to his roots for his next start, trainer Wesley Ward said Aug. 31.

The 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo  —who has made 10 of 11 career starts on the turf—returned to work Wednesday at Keeneland for the first time since his Aug. 5 Troy Stakes (G3T) score at Saratoga Race Course and switched surfaces, breezing an easy four furlongs in :51 4/5 on the main track under exercise rider Julio Garcia.

Golden Pal made his racing debut in the spring of 2020 with a runner-up finish sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs on the main track at Gulfstream Park, but excelled thereafter on the lawn. He took the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) at Keeneland as a 2-year-old and went on to success at 3, recording wins in the Quick Call Stakes (G3T), Woodford Stakes Presented by TVG (G3T), and the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar. While he has worked a few times for Ward on the dirt, the majority of his works under the trainer's care have been on turf or on the synthetic track at Turfway Park, where he spent the winter last year.

"We wanted to give him a nice easy workout with Julio Garcia, who has been working him his whole life. Every week we'll step it up just a shade," Ward said. "This one was just to see how he moved over it. The next one we'll put him in company and step it up from there. He had a beautiful work today, just floated down with his ears flopping back and forth. It was really nice to see."

Ward said the Oct. 7 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland is on the radar for the colt, who is owned in partnership by Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. The Phoenix is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and rewards the winner with an automatic berth to the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

"His stallion value will significantly increase if he shows an affinity for the dirt, so that's the reason why we're leaning in that direction. We only have a start or two left with him, so we're trying to make the right decisions," Ward said. "Not only for racing, but for a stallion career. (Keeneland) being his home track, he's trained here his whole life. This is where you'd want to showcase him in that race. It would give his best chance to show, as he's trained over this track forever. This would be where he would run his best race on the dirt."

Decisions still loom for Golden Pal's connections as the days count down to his next start, which will indicate whether the colt pursues the Breeders' Cup Sprint or eyes a return to the Turf Sprint.

"We'd have to see how he goes in and out, and runs, and all that stuff," Ward said. "(A decision regarding the Breeders' Cup) will come after the race, if we do decide to go that route or if we do decide to train him to the Turf Sprint then we'll eliminate the dirt. If he wins, and wins well in the Phoenix, that'll just tell the tale right there. Basically, we're just listening to him."

This season, Golden Pal started with a victory in the April 9 Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, then traveled to Ascot Racecourse where he finished 16th in the June 14 King's Stand Stakes (G1) before his Saratoga rebound.

"He's a very talented horse; we can put him through the mud, or the polytrack, or through a plowed field. When they're that good sometimes it's a little deceiving," Ward said. "As we get a little quicker and start picking these works up then we'll decide which direction we're going to go, to see if he takes to the dirt as well as he does the grass. Being a tremendous talent it should muddle itself out here, the closer we get, as to which direction we go."

Golden Pal was bred in Florida by Randall Lowe, who campaigned the colt under his Ranlo Investments banner through his first four starts before selling him privately to his current connections. He has bankrolled $1,638,431 with a 7-2-0 record from 11 starts.