Coach Wesley Ward has long hoped for great things from his 4-year-old pony Golden Pal .
Now, he’s expecting a son of Uncle Mo becomes special whenever he steps onto the track.
The next step in Golden Pal’s journey comes on August 5 when he runs in the $300,000 Troy Stakes presented by Horse Racing Ireland (G3T) at Racecourse Saratoga. Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, Golden Pal will be a strong contender as he faces six others in a 5 1/2 race on Mellon grass.
“He was already there,” Ward said, standing outside the Golden Pal stall in the back seat of the Spa, as the word great was being thrown around. “You just have to maintain greatness.”
Ward is eager to see his big horse run, especially after he last brought the Golden Pal to the races. It was at King’s Headquarters June 14 (G1) at Royal Ascot when he finished 16th with a score of 9-5.
This is only the second time in his 10-race career that Golden Pal has not run well. The first also crossed the pond as he finished seventh in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) in York End of August.
The King’s Stand still gnaws at Ward, who wants to introduce Golden Pal to the British.
“Absolutely true, it was a crying shame,” he said. “I was so looking forward to that race in Ascot. I was so sick that this horse didn’t have a chance to do it.”
Golden Pal’s race ended before it even started. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., riding at Royal Ascot for the first time, was on the Golden Pal at the starting gate and looked back at an unloaded horse.
Unbeknownst to Ortiz, the horse was scratched and the gate opened and he was not ready to go.
“Every other driver in the UK understands to be ready to hit the road because the starter can start at any time,” Ward said. “Irad was thinking there was a horse there that was going to be loaded, not realizing that the starter had scratched him. Irad was looking back completely and he almost fell over. Basically, the race was over. end.”
Golden Pal’s fortunes were not good abroad, but he did everything right. He won all six of his outings on American turf, including two in the Breeders’ Cup. He won the Juvenile Lawn Sprint (G2T) at Keeneland in 2020 and Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar last year.
Ward has said that he is the best horse he has ever trained.
“This is it,” Ward said. “I’ve had some great ones, especially the sprinters.”
Golden Pal has won five of Troy’s five starts and has also won both of his career starts in Saratoga. Ward hopes to have a tour of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland in November.
Among those trying the Golden Pal in the Troy is R. Larry Johnson, age 8 True Valor who is finishing third in the six-track Jaipur race (G1T) at Belmont Park June 11th.
“We’ve decided (Troy) is where we’re going after his last race.” Coach Graham Motion said. “I don’t really feel like going somewhere else just because Wesley is running. Obviously, his horse is very good. Not that I disrespect him, but we are not going to change what we are doing. do. Our horse is in good shape.”
The other five who entered Troy were Sonata Stable’s Arzak , trained by Michael Trombetta; William A. Branch’s Carotari , trained by Brian Lynch; Brian J. Dugan’s Spycraft , coached by Joe Sharp; Philip A. Gleaves, Steven Crist, Ken deRegt and Bryan Hilliard’s Thin white duke , who finished second in a July 28 Spa allowance for coach David Donk; and Gleaves, Joseph R. Straus Jr., and Hugh Fitzsimons’ Yes and Yes also coached by Donk.
