There is no shortage of vehicles flooding through the towering gates of Ashford Stud as breeders eagerly keep an eye on the stallion’s four newcomers for 2023.
Out of the quartet, two of the new additions hold the Breeders’ Cup title, and the breeders have responded enthusiastically to that prized résumé. While the superstar sprint golden friend (Uncle Mo – Lady Shipman, by transit person) prides himself on the rare distinction of taking home two Breeders’ Cups, his new schoolmate seaside (Quality Sugar – Wasted Tears, by Najran) justifies his point ‘TDN’s Rising Star’-made his well-deserved debut last fall when he won the 2021 GI TVG Breeders’ Cup minors.
According to Coolmore’s Adrian Wallace, Golden Pal in particular has seen a demand almost unlike what the Coolmore team had seen before as the son of Uncle Mo joined his father at Ashford.
“Golden Pal is getting requests from all sorts of breeders around,” says Wallace. “He has a really good book of mares behind him with graded bet winners and graded bet makers. He’s going to be one of the most famous horses we’ve ever met. He really impresses – both on the track and in the minds of the breeders.”
Wesley Ward, who trained Golden Pal to win at odds of two to four, did not hesitate to describe the champion as “the fastest of the fast”.
“Wesley Ward leaves no impression on you that he is the best horse he has ever trained – the fastest horse he has ever trained – and Wesley has trained some pretty good horses.” Wallace said. “I think the Golden Pal holds a very special place not only in the heart of Wesley Ward, but also in the heart of breeder Randy Lowe and in the heart of Coolmore.”
After finishing second in G2 Norfolk S. in Ascot as a teenager, Golden Pal broke her maidenhood in Skidmore S. in Saratoga and has since been virtually undefeated on American soil during her three-year career. his career. The 2020 GII Breeders’ Cup Juniors sprint, 2021 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf sprint and consecutive wins in the GII Woodford S. at Keeneland are just a few of the highlights from the list of seven winners. win his classified bet.
Golden Pal’s Lady Shipman dam earned nearly $1 million and finished second in the 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, while her son followed in the racemare’s success as a professional sprinter. on the field, Wallace said he believes the Golden Pal will imitate his male in producing flexible offspring.
“The great thing about Uncle Mo is that you have options for soil and grass,” he explains. “For me, Golden Pal doesn’t really look like a sprinter. I think he’s fast because he’s brilliant. I think the horse could have been very efficient over a mile and on both surfaces. That’s the great thing about Uncle Mo It’s a [his progeny] very flexible. They go to work as early as two and the older the better, and they seem to work both here and in Europe as well.”
Golden Pal and 2022 GI Belmont S. hero Mo Donegal are both sons of Uncle Mo join the ranks of Kentucky stallions next year.
seaside | Sarah Andrews
Ashford’s other Breeders’ Cup winning additional Corniche has been warmly received by breeders for many of the same reasons as the Golden Pal.
“I think everyone wants speed and horses like the Corniche and the Golden Pal provide that,” says Wallace. “That is the biggest selling point for any stallion. They are the ones that will take you to the races soon and hopefully take you to the track on the big stage.”
Corniche showed his excellence before he reached the starting gate as he entered :10 flat at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale and later sold for $1.5 million to Speedway Stables. He earned the title of ‘Rising Star’ when he debuted for Bob Baffert and then remained undefeated in GI American Pharoah S. and GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“I don’t think we’ll ever forget the performance Corniche put on in the Breeders’ Cup for the minors,” said Wallace. “He was favored to enter the race, but people are asking if he can make it through to the wide qualifiers. He left us no illusions about who was the best horse that day as he galloped to the juniors championship.
After suffering a career-ending injury at the age of three, Corniche retired to Ashford, where his book is now rapidly filling as breeders see the talented chestnut at close range.
“When you look at the Corniche, you think Quality Sugar and you think about speed,” says Wallace. “He is very similar to his father in that he has the same physique and structure as him. He is a well-balanced horse with good hips and shoulders. He is a person who is very mobile and very approachable.”
Bred by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings, Corniche was not among the six-time Wasted Tears classified bet winners.
Both Corniche and Golden Pal will have a $30,000 fee in their first season at Ashford Stud.
Click here for earlier video features of the upcoming new class of stallions and stay tuned for future versions of the series in the coming weeks.
