Golden Pal Goes Wire to Wire in Woodford
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Golden Pal wins the Woodford Stakes at Keeneland
Trainer Wesley Ward was pretty excited about Golden Pal 's chances for a repeat victory in November in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) even before his romping victory in the $315,175 Woodford Stakes Presented by FanDuel (G2T) Oct. 8 at Keeneland.
What is he now?
"We couldn't be more excited," Ward said after watching the 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt toy with eight rivals through the 5 1/2 furlongs before winning by 1 1/2 lengths in a stakes-record time of 1:01.39 on firm turf.
Golden Pal shot right to the front as the field left the starting gate and showed the way for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. through fractions of :21.25, :43.42. It did not appear Ortiz was even asking for his best as Golden Pal scored his eighth win from 12 starts.
"He's just a fast horse," Ortiz said.
Oceanic and Artemus Citylimits , fast horses in their own right, finished second and third with Bad Beat Brian and Gear Jockey in a dead heat for fourth.
The victory, Ward said, sets Golden Pal up perfectly for a defense of the title he won 11 months ago and half a continent away at Del Mar. The Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint will be run at Keeneland, where Golden Pal is stabled and has trained most of his life.
"Every time he runs, I get nervous because the expectations are so high," Ward said after his stable star won the Woodford for the second straight year. "But 28 days from today, we'll be ready to roll."
"Of all the horses I've ever trained, he's the fastest," Ward added.
Ortiz, noting Golden Pal now is 4-for-4 on the Keeneland turf, including the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T), said of the Breeders' Cup, "I love the fact that it's home for him."
Ward acknowledges the Breeders' Cup will be Golden Pal's final start. He races for the Coolmore-affiliated Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, and the colt is likely off to stud next year.
"I really look forward to what he's going to be as a stallion," Ward said, although he has admitted he regrets that Golden Pal's resume lacks one achievement—a victory at Royal Ascot.
In June, Golden Pal and Ortiz lined up for the King's Stand Stakes at the Royal meeting in a field that included Nature Strip . Between them, the two would have garnered most of the popular votes for world's best turf sprinter.
Ward was left with a "what might have been" when the barriers were sprung before Ortiz was prepared. He spotted the field many lengths, moved up smartly mid-race but then was virtually eased when he couldn't overcome the bad break.
"It would have been something to see the two of them battle it out to the finish," said Ward, an American pioneer at the Ascot festivities.
A year earlier, Golden Pal finished second, beaten a neck by The Lir Jet in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at the same meeting.
Golden Pal is out of the Midshipman mare Lady Shipman , a graded stakes winner in her own right and runner-up in the 2015 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint when the event was first held at Keeneland.
Golden Pal, bred in Florida by Randall Lowe, raced through his 2-year-old season for his breeder after he went unsold when bidding stalled at $325,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.