Walder stoked about Fast Pass being invited to Korea Sprint

No one could have imagined three years ago when Fast Pass was running in $4,000 claiming races that someday he would be so highly regarded as to merit an invitation to a $1 million race in Korea.

But that’s what has happened, and his trainer, Peter Walder, couldn’t be more pumped.

“It’s so cool,” Walder said this week from Gulfstream Park in South Florida. “I’m honored, I’m excited. I’ve never been to that part of the world and I can’t wait to see it.”

Fast Pass will race in the $1 million Korea Sprint on Sept. 8 at LetsRun Park in Seoul. This will be the fourth running of the 1,200-meter race (about six furlongs) as Korean racing interests actively recruit horses from across the globe. American trainers including Linda Rice, Kenny McPeek, and Ron Faucheux have been represented in prior runnings.

Fast Pass, a stretch-running 6-year-old gelding, is owned mostly by the Paradise Farms Corp. of Peter Proscia, with Walder as a one-fourth partner. Campaigned exclusively in Gulfstream sprints since being privately purchased last fall, the Kentucky-bred son of Successful Appeal has won three of his last four starts, with his only defeat being a creditable third-place finish on a “good” track in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint on June 29. Diamond Oops won the Smile, with Jalen Journey second.

:: Get PPs, Clocker Reports, picks, and more from DRF's Saratoga/Del Mar One-Stop Shop

“If the track hadn’t been off that day, he would’ve won. I don’t care what anybody says,” said Walder. “He was farther back than normal because he couldn’t handle the track, then he came rolling when he got some traction. Those two horses that finished ahead of him have come back to run well, so that’s flattered him, too.”

Fast Pass becoming a player in the elite sprint ranks has far exceeded Walder’s expectations. Fast Pass began his career on Aug. 30, 2015, for Ed Moger Jr. in Northern California and soon found himself competing for $4,000 in seven straight starts, changing hands several times via the claim box. In all, he has racked up 10 wins and 10 seconds from 37 starts for earnings of $225,103.

Walder said a flight to Korea by way of New York is scheduled for Aug. 27 and that he will accompany the horse overseas.

Walder, 50, has won 214 races at Gulfstream since the track went to a mostly year-round program in 2013, seventh-most among all trainers (Todd Pletcher leads with 491). He has won eight Gulfstream stakes during that span, none of them graded, so he sees the trip to Korea as a great opportunity.

“I’m not going there just to see Seoul, although that will be a fantastic experience, I’m sure,” he said. “This will be a tough race but we’ll have a legitimate shot. I’m taking over a horse with a chance to win.”

Turf allowances top Friday card

A pair of two-turn turf allowances will serve as highlights of a 10-race Friday card that carries a first post of 2 p.m. Eastern.

The later allowance is part of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 5-10), which had a jackpot carryover of nearly $600,000 when a four-day race week began Thursday.

Occasional showers and a high of 89 are in the local forecast for Friday, when half of the card is slated for grass.