Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Golden Pal will have to use his speed from post 14
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wesley Ward has four horses guaranteed a spot in the main body of the field for Friday’s third edition of the Grade 2, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He trains all three also-eligibles hoping for a spot in the field. But, in the end, the locally based horseman might just need one horse.
Golden Pal is among the shortest-priced favorites in the Breeders’ Cup 2-year-old races. Golden Pal, who by design is coming to the race off an 11-week layoff, was installed as the 8-5 favorite on the morning line by Mike Battaglia.
“These are the kind of horses that make you get up in the morning and want to get out here,” Ward said. “He’s really, really something. He’s just a pure athlete. He’s a real cool horse to be around, too. Every horse has a different personality. This guy’s just really charged up – not nervous at all, just a really good-feeling guy, and can’t wait to get into the game.”
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.”
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 Royal Ascot, finishing second by a neck on turf rated good-to-soft to The Lir Jet – who goes in the Juvenile Turf.
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, the distance of the Juvenile Turf Sprint, in 1:00.88, just off the course record of 1:00.21. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92, far and away the highest number in this field.
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Golden Pal in the Skidmore, remains aboard and will have the challenge of working out a trip on the speedy colt, who drew the far outside in post 14. Golden Pal will have to break alertly and use his speed to avoid being hung wide on the turn.
Ward won last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint with Four Wheel Drive. His other entrants in the body of this year’s field are led by Amanzi Yimpilo, who earned an automatic berth to this race by winning the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita. She raced in second that day before getting up to win by a head. With some speed drawn outside of her, she would have to work her way around and outside if she wants to sit a similar stalking trip.
After Five is still a maiden after two starts, finishing second by a nose at Kentucky Downs and then second by a half-length in the Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont. He has rallied from off the pace after slightly troubled breaks and would likely appreciate a fast pace. Contributing to that pace could be another front-running stablemate, Into the Sunrise, who cuts back in distance after finishing second in the Soaring Free Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs and fourth in the Grade 2 Bourbon at 1 1/16 miles.
The three Ward-trained also-eligibles, in order of preference, are Blame the Booze, ninth in the Bourbon, and Gypsy King and Trade Deal, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Futurity. Scratch time is Friday morning.
The well-traveled Bodenheimer was an impressive winner of the Indian Summer for trainer Valorie Lund. The colt won his debut at Canterbury Park in July, then took the Prairie Gold Juvenile in Iowa. After finishing fifth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint on soft turf, his only career loss, he rebounded in the Oct. 4 Indian Summer. Racing on the front end through wicked fractions, he dug in to win by a length. He earned a Beyer of 82, second only to Golden Pal.
“This colt, early on, I’d never had a 2-year-old that trained so forwardly,” Lund said. “I’m really cautious with my 2-year-olds, so not a lot of them even make it to the races. He has just done everything right. He’s been an iron horse, he’s smart, he’s fast.”
Bodenheimer is drawn in post 10 with Brian Hernandez Jr. in the irons. He will face similar challenges as Golden Pal in running his usual race without being hung wide.
Second of July has won both his starts at Belmont for Phil Gleaves, including a victory in the Futurity that punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup.
Steve Asmussen will saddle a pair of runners in Cowan, who has markedly improved on turf and turned in a career-best performance when rallying for second in the Indian Summer, and County Final, who won the off-the-turf Tyro Stakes and has been fourth in a pair of turf stakes since.
Ubettabelieveit, rallying winner of the Group 2 Flying Childers, is one of the most accomplished of the international shippers and would appreciate a fast pace. Lipizzaner was Group 3-placed in Ireland on soft turf and a stakes winner last time out on heavy turf for the powerful Ballydoyle team, while Mighty Gurkha was a Group 3 winner on an all-weather track in Europe.
Completing the main body of the field are Dirty Dangle, who has won both his starts at Woodbine; Momos, who was third in the Futurity; and Windy City Red, who was third in the Speakeasy.
Momos and Mighty Gurkha, both of whom have shown speed in prior starts, will add blinkers for this race.