Shakertown no gimme for the brilliant Golden Pal
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wesley Ward has trained a host of high-level racehorses, Grade 1 winners, and champions. Last year, he boldly suggested Golden Pal was better than all of them.
The assertion felt premature. Golden Pal went to Royal Ascot at age 2 and lost the Norfolk Stakes. Later in the year, he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, but only by a diminishing three-quarters of a length. Making his 3-year-old debut last July, Golden Pal dominated the Troy at Saratoga, but that was a mere Grade 3 stakes. Back in England for the Group 1 Nunthorpe, Golden Pal clunked home seventh.
He toyed with rivals here at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Woodford last October, and then came the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. A Thoroughbred can’t break much faster or show more speed than Golden Pal did last November at Del Mar. He barely seemed to take a deep breath, winning comfortably, and the 107 Beyer Speed Figure he earned was the highest American turf number last year.
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Golden Pal makes his first start at age 4 Saturday in the Grade 2, $350,000 Shakertown, run at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Keeneland grass course. Ward is singing the same song.
“Undoubtedly, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he has to be the best I’ve had,” Ward said. “You could see all along he was going to emerge into something great. Now, he’s really come together even from his 3-year-old season. He’s just so quick and agile on his feet.”
Golden Pal, regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. named, drew post 10 in an 11-horse field and will be an odds-on favorite. He’s 2 for 2 over the Keeneland course, and with rain and cold here throughout his week, he could face conditions similar to the 2020 BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. Golden Pal was looking for the wire that day, while the fast, firm course at Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint appeared to bring out his best. And as quick as he is, Golden Pal could face a touch of pace pressure Saturday.
“It does look like there’s a lot of speed, even speed to the outside of him,” said Ward.
The speed outside comes from Just Might, the only Shakertown entrant who might have pace to keep Golden Pal from shaking loose. Just Might performed poorly in this race last year when it was run over a course with give in the ground, but trainer, co-breeder, and co-owner Michelle Lovell said she has no plans to scratch. Just Might won seven stakes races during 2021 but not against fields as tough as this.
It was The Lir Jet who beat Golden Pal in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot, and Saturday, having been moved from England to America last year, The Lir Jet faces Golden Pal again. Trained by Brendan Walsh, The Lir Jet won the Franklin Simpson Stakes last September at Kentucky Downs, but then met with what Walsh said was relatively minor setback and has not started since.
Walsh, who calls The Lir Jet “a very, very good horse,” has gotten plenty of work into his charge. The Franklin Simpson is run at a testing 6 1/2 furlongs, but Walsh said The Lir Jet can handle this shorter trip and wouldn’t mind a sodden grass course.
Gear Jockey has upset potential if he can find his best 2021 form, something far from when Gear Jockey finished fifth Feb. 2 as the 3-10 favorite in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint. That was his first race since he ran sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last November.
“I thought I had him well enough to run a good race, but he never had any interest that day,” said trainer Rusty Arnold, who welcomes the prospect of wet turf. “He came out of it good, healthy, and sound. He’s had a couple works since then that were faster breezes than usual for me.”
Filo di Arianna has started his career with four wins: three blowouts in Brazil and an eye-catching victory last June in a high-end Woodbine allowance, which also was his most recent race. The Brazilian starts came in 2019 and Filo di Arianna has struggled stringing together races.
“Just minor things, nagging injuries, but knock on wood he’s very good right now,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He’s an exceptional horse.”
Casse concedes 5 1/2 furlongs could be shorter than ideal for Fili di Arianna. The 6-year-old did win well over heavy going in his second race.
California invader Barraza has gone 4 for 4 since being cut back from routes to turf sprints, demonstrating versatility of style and emerging as a leading Southern California one-turn grass horse. But he’s never faced course conditions like those likely to prevail Saturday and could struggle to adapt.