With Happy Soul and Golden Pal in opening-day stakes, Ward poised for a fast start to Saratoga meet

ELMONT, N.Y. – Wesley Ward enjoyed a fabulous Belmont Park spring/summer meeting and appears in good shape to get his Saratoga meet off to a strong start.

Ward looks to be well represented in both opening-day stakes Thursday at the Spa, as he will run Happy Soul in the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, and Golden Pal in the $120,000 Quick Call Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Happy Soul, a daughter of Runhappy, is coming off a pair of blowout victories, including an 11 1/2-length score in the $150,000 Astoria Stakes on June 3 at Belmont. Ward had initially planned on pointing Happy Soul to the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes on Aug. 8, but her recent training suggested to him not to wait.

Ward said Happy Soul has been working in company with the Grade 1-winning 4-year-old filly Kimari, who is pointing to the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on July 28.

“Even though Kimari is visually better, they’re smoking around there in 59,” Ward said. “Even though it’s coming back a little quick, the way she’s breezing, she shows no signs of being tired or wanting more time.”

Entries for the opening-day card were to be taken Saturday. Others expected to be entered in Schuylerville are Cartel Queen, Eagle Express, Mainstay, Pipeline Girl, Pretty Birdie, Queen Camilla, and Saucy Lady T.

Golden Pal has not run since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November, which followed a victory in the Skidmore Stakes as a maiden last summer at Saratoga. Golden Pal also was a maiden when he was beaten a neck by The Lir Jet in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Ward doesn’t mince words when he talks about Golden Pal.

“This is the best horse I’ve ever had,” Ward said of the son of Uncle Mo and Lady Shipman.

Ward said Golden Pal had “a few little minor issues” earlier this year but there were no races of note he had wanted to run him in. Ward said Thursday’s Quick Call could be a prep for the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Aug. 7 at York or a $1 million race at Kentucky Downs in September, with the ultimate goal being the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

“There’s big opportunities all summer long,” Ward said. “As fast as this horse is – which I believe he’s the fastest I ever had – you don’t want to get them started too early. You want him peaking the first Saturday in November.”

On Thursday at Belmont, Golden Pal worked an easy five furlongs on the turf in 1:05.43, getting his last three furlongs in 39.03 seconds. Golden Pal had worked a fast five furlongs in 59.60 over the Churchill turf on June 27.

Ward also worked Bound for Nowhere, two-time winner of the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland who most recently was third in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont. Bound for Nowhere worked five furlongs in 1:03.21 on Thursday here. He is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy Stakes on Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

Though he is bringing firepower to the opening-day stakes at Saratoga, Ward didn’t want to get too confident about getting off to a quick start at the meet.

“It looked that way going to Royal Ascot, but it took until the last one to get there, so let’s hope now that we’re here at home that they run a little better here at the start,” he said.