2021 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint: Ward's hopes ride on three
DEL MAR, Ca. - For all the excellent turf sprinters Wesley Ward has trained, he never has won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Ward will have three chances to fill that void Saturday at Del Mar, as his trio of pre-entrants for the $1 million Turf Sprint turned in timed workouts over a soggy Keeneland grass course Sunday morning.
Golden Pal, the likely favorite, worked a half-mile in 53.20 seconds going in company with the 2-year-old filly Averly Jane, one of the favorites for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Kimari, whose 2021 campaign has been star-crossed, worked a half in 52 seconds going with another Juvenile Turf Sprint pre-entrant, Twilight Gleaming.
And Arrest Me Red, winner of the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational last month, went a half in 51.80 with Kaufymaker, who was pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf Sprint but needs a defection if he’s to make the main body of the field.
Keeneland’s grass course has been wet for days and took another round of rain Sunday, but that didn’t faze Ward.
“I like to work on a yielding course,” Ward said. “I think they get a lot out of it. They don’t have to go as fast, and they come back sound. Today, it was really deep, but it was good.”
Golden Pal won the 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint but has started only three times since, winning the Troy on July 15 at Saratoga and the Woodford on Oct. 9 at Keeneland. Between those races, Golden Pal went to England, setting the pace in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Aug. 20 at York before fading to seventh. Jockey Frankie Dettori told Ward that Golden Pal was “looking for the turn” in that five-furlong, straight-course dash, although Golden Pal ran down a straight course finishing second by a neck in the Norfolk Stakes during the Royal Ascot meeting in June 2020.
Kimari has started only twice this year and is unraced since winning the Grade 1 Madison Stakes in April at Keeneland. Both that race and the Feb. 27 Spring Fever were dirt races, and Ward had ambitions of making the BC Filly and Mare Sprint over seven furlongs on dirt with Kimari.
“If we had another month, we’d be getting ready to take on Gamine (the Filly and Mare Sprint favorite). But there was no time for a prep, and she wasn’t ready to go seven-eighths on dirt. She’s absolutely ready to go five-eighths on grass without a prep,” Ward said.
Ward often trains his horses without shoes and Kimari had been going barefoot before she worked in shoes Sunday. “She’s never been as sound her entire life as she is right now,” he said.
Arrest Me Red joined Ward’s barn after his 2-year-old season and has won a pair of turf sprint stakes in his two 2021 starts. Ward said Arrest Me Red acted up in the paddock and during the warm-up period before his last race at Belmont and won despite his behavior.
“Even though he won, I think that took a little bit away when he got hot like that,” Ward said. “That’s not who he is. We’re going to do a lot of schooling in the paddock when we get out to Del Mar.”
On the Del Mar grass Sunday, Turf Sprint pre-entrant Charmaine’s Mia, a pace player, worked a half-mile around the dogs in 50.20 seconds, per Del Mar clockers, while Extravagant Kid went a half in 49.40. Bombard, going in company with Dogtag, worked five furlongs on dirt in 58.40 but needs a defection to make the Turf Sprint field. Caravel, excluded from the field when pre-entries were taken, will get into the race because Casa Creed’s connections are opting to run their horse in the Mile.