Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Golden Pal has home-court advantage
The picture for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint is still coming in to focus, as several youngsters are expected to be cross-entered when pre-entries close on Monday. But one horse is a certain entity – favored Golden Pal, who continues steady preparations at his Keeneland base.
Golden Pal, 8-5 on Daily Racing Form’s early line for the Juvenile Turf Sprint established by David Aragona, will get a chance to run out of his own stall for the first time in his career. Trainer Wesley Ward’s horses are based in the Rice Road stable area at Keeneland, where all the Breeders’ Cup horses will be housed to free up the main stable area for the Keeneland November breeding stock sale that begins Nov. 9.
"He's something special, this guy,” Ward said. “From everything we've seen here, they're coming into his home court, like Michael Jordan in the United Center, in the Breeders' Cup this year. He's a very, very nice colt.”
Based on pedigree, it is no surprise that Golden Pal is a precocious turf sprinter. His sire and broodmare sire, Uncle Mo and Midshipman, were both Eclipse Award champion juveniles. The Ranlo Investments homebred is the first foal out of Lady Shipman, an 11-time stakes winner who was second by a neck in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
"He's pure speed," Ward said. "He takes after the mare in that regard. He's got a real great personality. He's like the high school quarterback, just thinks he's a real cat daddy."
With Keeneland's spring meet canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Golden Pal made his debut on the Gulfstream Park dirt, finishing second. He was then part of Ward’s contingent at the renowned Royal Ascot meeting, finishing second by a neck to The Lir Jet on turf rated good to soft.
Off that effort, Golden Pal was sent away favored, despite still being a maiden, in the Skidmore Stakes on Aug. 21 at Saratoga. He led throughout and widened in the lane to win by 3 1/2 lengths, finishing the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:00.88, just off the course record of 1:00.21.
Off that effort, Ward said he would train Golden Pal up to the Breeders’ Cup. After a strong work, he toyed with the idea of starting the colt in the local prep, the Indian Summer on Oct. 4, but ultimately scratched him in favor of sticking with the original plan when that day turned up damp.
The Breeders’ Cup has 17 candidates listed on its website for the Juvenile Turf Sprint, in which 14 may start. Four of those are considered possible for another race – After Five (Juvenile Turf), Outadore (Juvenile Turf), Pizzazz (Juvenile Fillies Turf), and Royal Approval (Juvenile Fillies Turf). Campanelle and The Lir Jet, who earned automatic berths into the Juvenile Turf Sprint, are considered certain for the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf, respectively.
Horses may be pre-entered in two Breeders’ Cup races at the Oct. 26 deadline, declaring first and second preferences. Final entries for all Breeders’ Cup races are taken Nov. 2, and connections must select one race at that time.