SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Coach Wesley Ward Turns To Soccer To Explain Why Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) Turns out what he was talking about was the best horse he’d handled during his 32-year career.
“Look at all of the exceptional runs in history,” says Ward. “What makes them so special? They’re born with talent. They’re incredibly fast and many of them also have a mind for it. He has both.”
Nearly two months after a disappointing appearance as the favorites at G1 King’s Stand S. at Royal Ascot in June, Golden Pal returns to compete on Friday at GIII Troy S. by Horse Racing Ireland presented at the Saratoga Racecourse. He drew five in the field of seven to 5 1/2 feathers on the court.
Golden Pal is a two-two at Saratoga and has racked up six straight wins – all in holdings – in the US since dropping his first debut in April 2020. Overall, he’s won. six out of 10 starts and makes $1.4 million, second in Ward’s career stable chart for Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper).
“He’s definitely been incredibly accomplished here, having won two Breeders’ trophies and is shooting for the third time,” Ward said. “The only thing he lacks is being there. He didn’t really approve of my going abroad. “
In his second start at the age of 2, Golden Pal finished second to The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) in G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. Last summer in York, he placed seventh in G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. On June 14 at the King’s Stand, he slowly left in the presence of Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was turning his head to see a horse rushing behind the gate. , hurled up, weakened and loosened.
“This year, I’m very disappointed with what happened at halftime,” Ward said.
Golden Pal is Lady Shipman’s first pony (Shipman), who won 11 shares in his illustrious career for Randall Lowe. During the peak of his career, Lowe said he turned down a lofty $3.5 million offer to sell Lady Shipman. He bred the Golden Pal and when he failed to hit his starting price in the auction as an aspirant, raced him at the age of 2. Following Golden Pal’s win in the GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Lowe sold him to his Coolmore partnership John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg Ltd., which kept him with Ward. . Gulf completed its 2021 campaign for its new owners with a score of 1/4 the length in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
Apparently, the Golden Pal has become a favorite of Ward.
Ward said: “He was such a joy to be around. “Every horse has a different personality, just like people. And this guy just has a great personality. He is always positive. He would be a positive person if he were a human. He’s just a really cool guy to be around. “
Ward has been very careful with the Golden Pal, balancing training with a light racing schedule throughout his career. He ran four times as a 2-year-old, another four last year and will have four, possibly five, starts this season – his final season on the track. Ward was particularly enthusiastic about how the pony performed on its debut this season, winning the GII Shakertown S. in Keeneland on 4 3/4 length April 9.
On the run with Shakertown in April | Coady
“It’s a big race in the spring,” Ward said. “He just played the Breeders’ Cup to Keeneland. We had to train him with the Keeneland weather and take him to Turfway and show him off. He’s definitely not going 100% into the race fitness wise, because we have to face the weather, but he just came with a strong race. I’m looking forward to going to Ascot with him because he’s been training well from that point on. “
Golden Pal has had three breezes at Saratoga, two of which were bullets, through Oklahoma turf training since July 15.
“We’ve got a good amount of space and he’s here and he’s ready,” Ward said.
In the previous two starts at Saratoga, Golden Pal was an easy and impressive winner. He broke his maidenhood by 3 and a half lengths in a Skidmore S. 2020 when a return trip to Europe wrecked due to the weather. In 2021, he wowed the crowd on opening day with a 3-match win in the hands of GIII Quick Call S.
From Saratoga, Golden Pal will return to Ward’s home ground in Keeneland to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup. The preparation in Kentucky can be an experiment, a change of face.
Ward said: “We can go to Phoenix (GII Stoll Keenon Ogden), which is on land, to get the value of the stallion. “We will see if he can do it. There’s no reason why he can’t. In another trainer’s stable, he would probably be a dirt horse, but he had so many physical problems along the way that I couldn’t run him on the ground just to keep he is healthy. “
Golden Pal’s only bad start was in the first race of his career at Gulfstream Park.
While Breeders’ Cup is a career-ending goal, Ward said one more race could be on the way.
“It could peak in Australia,” Ward said. “It all depends on how we end the year, but Coolmore has expressed an interest in introducing him to Australian breeders in the Southern Hemisphere.”
