Well-bred 2-year-olds meet in Friday's second race

Wesley Ward hopes the regally bred 2-year-old colt Golden Pal will get a chance to perform at Royal Ascot later this summer. A lot will depend on how Golden Pal performs Friday when he begins his career at Gulfstream Park in the first juvenile race for males of the year.

Golden Pal, a son of Uncle Mo out of Lady Shipman, an 11-time turf stakes-winning mare, debuts in a 4 1/2-furlong dirt race that goes as the second on the card. Ward typically uses the dirt races at Keeneland in April to prepare his juveniles for turf stakes at Royal Ascot. With Keeneland having canceled its spring meet due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ward will use the dirt races at Gulfstream to hopefully get some of his horses to Royal Ascot.

The Royal Ascot meeting is still scheduled to take place – albeit without spectators – from June 16-20. When it comes to Golden Pal, Royal Ascot “is in the front of my mind. He’s really something, that one. I’m excited about that guy.”

Golden Pal has worked on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park, the dirt at Gulfstream Park West, and, most recently, the turf at Palm Meadows.

“He moves like a cat,” Ward said. “When the gates open, he’s gone.

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"His one grass work at Palm Meadows was really good, and all his dirt works were really, really nice as well,” Ward said.

Ward trains Golden Pal for Randall Lowe’s Ranlo Investments. The horse failed to reach his reserve at the Keeneland September yearling sale, so Lowe turned the colt to over to Ward.

“I loved him at the yearling sale,” Ward said.

Golden Pal, who will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, drew post 7 in a field that drew nine but will be limited to eight starters.

Outside of Golden Pal is First Navy Admiral, a son of Fort Loudon out of Awesome Feather, who won the first 10 starts of her 11-race career, was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2010, and has thrown eight winners so far. First Navy Admiral is owned and bred by Jacks or Better Farm and goes out for Ralph Nicks.

First Navy Admiral worked three furlongs in 36.74 seconds out of the gate Sunday, the second time he worked out of the gate for Nicks, who said he’s had the horse with him for about three weeks.

“He broke really good the second time, and I think the post is favorable for him,” Nicks said.

At the 2019 Gulfstream spring-summer meet, trainer Michael Yates won two juvenile races with first-time starters. Friday, Yates sends out Peppi and Just Right Mike, both sons of the Florida-based stallion Cajun Breeze.

Horses participating in 2-year-old races this year in Florida will not be administered Lasix on race day.