Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Golden Pal will face six-pack of Europeans
The Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 5 at Keeneland is likely to have a full and eclectic starting gate, and it looks like Golden Pal versus the world.
Keeneland-based Golden Pal, who is unbeaten in North American stakes company, already owns two Breeders’ Cup wins, taking the 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland and last year’s Turf Sprint at Del Mar. He is the early favorite, at 2-1, on the line of Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free for next week’s Turf Sprint, which is expected to be his career finale. The second choice on Free’s early line, at 4-1, is Highfield Princess, who has won three consecutive Group 1 races in three European countries.
Those two lead the field for the Turf Sprint, which is limited to 14 starters but drew an overflow cast of 22 pre-entries. In alphabetical order, the 14 runners who have earned a guaranteed place in the field are Arrest Me Red, Artemus Citylimits, Bran, Campanelle, Caravel, Casa Creed, Cazadero, Creative Force, Emaraaty Ana, Flotus, Go Bears Go, Golden Pal, Highfield Princess, and Naval Crown.
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There are eight others who were not selected into the field, and they’re likely to be left on the outside looking in, as all of the top 14 are intended runners and none were cross-entered into other races. As of now, the four horses who would be listed as also-eligibles on the program at entry time Oct. 31, in order of preference, would be Ladies Church, Dancing Buck, Oceanic, and Lane Way.
The last time the Turf Sprint was contested at Keeneland, it was won by a European-based runner, Glass Slippers, for the first time in its history. That may partially account for the sizable number of Europeans targeting this edition. Of the 14 likely runners, eight are U.S.-based and six are European-based. However, there are plenty of world travelers in both groups – including Golden Pal, who was winless in three starts in Europe, although he was second in the Group 2 Norfolk at the 2020 Royal Ascot meeting.
Golden Pal’s Wesley Ward-trained stablemate Campanelle has made several fine forays to Europe, winning the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Prix Morny as a juvenile; taking the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup by disqualification at Royal Ascot last year; and, at this year’s royal meeting, finishing in a dead-heat for third in the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee, beaten less than a length by Naval Crown and Creative Force, who she faces again at Keeneland.
Another Turf Sprint entrant, Bran, was foaled in France and began his career there before coming to the United States. Casa Creed made two starts in the Middle East early this year, including finishing second in the Group 3 Sprint Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, of the Europeans, Go Bears Go and Emaraaty Ana made a foray to the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, giving them valuable experience around left-handed turns. Go Bears Go was second by just a half-length in the Juvenile Turf Sprint; Emaraaty Ana was fourth behind Golden Pal.
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