Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Golden Pal explodes from gate, goes wire to wire
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is run over a mere five furlongs, as short a major race as you’ll find in America, but it took only about 20 yards for the 2021 renewal to be decided.
Golden Pal rocketed out of the starting gate and in 12 bounding strides put two lengths on his nearest pursuer. That was Lieutenant Dan, who chased and chased but never could bridge the gap, checking in second, 1 1/2 lengths behind Golden Pal.
“The only thing I was worried about was the first jump,” said Wesley Ward, Golden Pal’s trainer. “So much can happen - stumble, just get off bad. After the break today, we were in good shape. He’s just a very, very fast horse.”
Golden Pal became a two-time Breeders’ Cup winner, having captured the Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2020 at Keeneland. That day, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. took a hold of his mount after Golden Pal sprinted into the clear; Golden Pal won anyway, by a diminishing three-quarters of a length. Saturday, Ortiz let Golden Pal show his brilliance, setting splits of 22.45 and 43.91 on the way to an official clocking of 55.22 over firm turf.
The winning time first posted immediately after the race was 54.75, which would have equaled the course record. Either way, Golden Pal ran fast, earning a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I rode him before and today he was so sharp. He’s getting better and better,” Ortiz said.
Lieutenant Dan returned from more than a year away from racing to win two races at Del Mar this past summer, including the Green Flash Stakes. He came into Saturday’s start after winning the Eddie D at Santa Anita and was a soundly beaten second, but walloped everyone else in the field, finishing 3 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place Charmaine’s Mia.
“I tried to put a little pressure on [Golden Pal],” said jockey Geovanni Franco. “But he left there flying. I think that’s what made the difference.”
They came home bunched behind Lieutenant Dan. Charmaine’s Mia finished a neck in front of Emaraaty Ana, the top-placed European shipper. A head farther back was the Irish horse A Case of You, followed by Gear Jockey, Kimari, 2020 Turf Sprint winner Glass Slippers, Extravagant Kid, Chaos Theory (who drew into the race when Arrest Me Red was scratched Saturday with a sore hoof), Fast Boat, and Caravel.
Golden Pal paid a generous $7.
Ward’s barn typically is loaded with turf sprinters but this, his fifth Breeders’ Cup winner, was his first in the BC Turf Sprint. Golden Pal, owned by Coolmore connections and destined for a stallion career, will return for a 2022 campaign, according to current plans.
By Uncle Mo out of the excellent turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who was second in the 2015 BC Turf Sprint, Golden Pal, bred by Randal Lowe, now has a record of 8-5-2-0. And while there’s talk of a race next June at Royal Ascot, Ward has thoughts of shifting the colt to dirt during his 4-year-old season.
“He isn’t just a turf sprinter,” Ward said. “From the onset he always had issues. I’ve always been a little afraid to train him on the dirt. He’s always trained awesome on the dirt, but he was such a fragile guy early on. Now he’s been so sound. We’ll consider it at the right time.”
This time, and for the second straight Breeders’ Cup, Golden Pal shined on grass.