Golden Pal ready to make history as he starts the Breeders’ Cup for the third time in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Two-time Breeders ‘Cup’ world champion — he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint 2020 (G2T) and Turf Sprint 2021 — his 4-year-old son. Uncle Mo managed to become the third horse to win three Breeders’ Cup races and the first male to do so.
Place the bar in front of him as Goldikova who won three consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) runs in 2008-10 and Beholder who won the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and followed by two wins in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), in 2013 and 2016.
Golden Pal showed this year he’s up to the task. He started the year with a 4 3/4 length win in Shakertown Stakes (G2T), going 5 1/2 times on grass in Keeneland. This race is his third time winning the grass sprint at distance (also the distance of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint) at Keeneland, which is hosting this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
Already an international traveller, trainer Wesley Ward sent the pony back to England this year for a Royal Ascot meet-up to compete for King’s Stand Stakes (G1) and a must see Golden Pal finish only for the year. . Jockey Irad Oritz Jr took down Golden Pal when it was clear he had no chance.
Longtime owners and partners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith with Westerberg gathered back in the United States where Ward sent the Golden Pal to Racecourse Saratoga. He won 5 1/2-bets Troy (G3T) and then made a 4th leg sprint at Keeneland in the October 8 Woodford Stakes match presented by FanDuel (G2T).
Golden Pal conducted “leg-stretch” maintenance work at Keeneland on October 28 and told Ward he was ready.
“He’s where we want him to be; it’s a maintenance thing,” Ward said. “All we needed was a little leg straightener and that’s what he did. I was pretty happy when he went to the rope, he put both ears forward and you can tell. he’s galloping at high speed.”
Ward said he knew the race would include some tough competition overseas but he was confident his horse had all the talent it needed to win.
“You have the fastest grass horses from all over the world coming here. But you know, we’re ready for them,” he said. “I’ve got the fastest horse, so now it’s a question of racing luck.”
Turf Sprint will be the last race of Golden Pal. He’ll be enrolling next year at Coolmore America’s Ashford College.
Ward has two others joining the Turf Sprint—Catch me red a 4-year-old son of Pioneer of the Nile who won the Twin Spiers Turf Sprint Stakes presented by Sysco (G2T) in May at Churchill Downs and placed second in Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park; and, 4 years old, multi-group winner 1 Campanelle who finished third this year in Platinum Jubilee Stakes (G1) in Royal Ascot and won the Breeders’ Cup by winning 6 1/2 Mint Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs.
Of Lael Stables’ purebred Arrest Me Red, Ward said: “He’s got into this race really well. So I’m excited for this guy, but unfortunately he’s going to get the good horse. The best I’ve ever coached.”
Ward said Campanelle has only had 10 starts in her three racing seasons, but she makes every start count. ‘s half-Irish daughter Zodiac Raced by Stonestreet Stables has won six career starts and two thirds. In April at Keeneland, she finished from the middle of the pack in 5 Giant’s Causeway 1/2-Furlong bets listed to win 2 and a half innings.
“She won the graded or group bets on 2, 3 and 4,” he said. “She’ll be sitting at the beginning, so if they’re driving ahead, she’ll run like she did in the spring.”
Competitors from abroad include Trainers House Enterprises’ Highfield Princess , who entered the Breeders’ Cup with three consecutive Group 1 victories in three different races. ‘s 5-year-old daughter Thunder Night coached by John Quinn. She started her streak in the longest round 6 of 1/8 Maurice de Gheest (G1) in Deauville which she won 3/4 of the length. She next won on August 19 in the 5-card Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthrope Stakes (G1) in York at 2 1/2 and then captured the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Flying Five Stakes (G1 ) on September 11 with 5 games at Curragh equal to 3 1/4 of the length.
