Golden Pal is poised to make history when he makes his third Breeders' Cup start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Already a two-time Breeders' Cup World Championships winner—he won the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) and the 2021 Turf Sprint—the 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo seeks to become the third horse to win three Breeders' Cup races and the first male to accomplish this feat.
Setting the bar ahead of him were Goldikova, who won three consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) in 2008-10 and Beholder, who won the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and followed with two victories in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), in 2013 and 2016.
Golden Pal has shown this year he's up to the task. He started the year with a 4 3/4 length victory in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T), going 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass at Keeneland. This race was his third graded stakes turf sprint win at the distance (also the distance of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint) at Keeneland, which is hosting this year's Breeders' Cup.
Already an international traveler, trainer Wesley Ward sent the colt back to England this year for the Royal Ascot meet to contest the King's Stand Stakes (G1) and had to watch Golden Pal's only unplaced finish of the year. Jockey Irad Oritz Jr. eased Golden Pal when it was apparent he had no chance.
Owners and longtime partners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith along with Westerberg regrouped back in the States where Ward sent Golden Pal to Saratoga Race Course. He won the 5 1/2-furlong Troy Stakes (G3T) and then captured his fourth turf sprint at Keeneland in the Oct. 8 Woodford Stakes Presented by FanDuel (G2T).
Golden Pal put in a "leg-stretching" maintenance work at Keeneland Oct. 28 and let Ward know he's ready.
"He is where we want him to be; it's a maintenance thing," said Ward. "All we needed was a little leg-stretcher and that is what he did. I was pretty happy as he was coming to the wire, he had both his ears forward and you could tell he was in a high-cruising gallop."
Ward said he knows the race will include some tough overseas competitors but he's confident his horse has all the talent required to win.
"You have the fastest turf horses from all over the world coming here. But you know, we're ready for 'em," he said. "I've got the fastest horse, so now it is a question of racing luck."
The Turf Sprint will be Golden Pal's last race. He'll enter stud next year at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud.
Ward has two others entered in the Turf Sprint—Arrest Me Red, a 4-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile, who won the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Sysco (G2T) in May at Churchill Downs and was second in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park; and, 4-year-old multiple group 1 winner Campanelle, who was third this year in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes (G1) during Royal Ascot and comes into the Breeders' Cup off a win in the 6 1/2-furlong Mint Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs.
About Lael Stables' homebred Arrest Me Red, Ward said: "He's coming into this race really good. So I'm excited about this guy, but unfortunately he's going to hook the best horse I've ever trained."
Ward said Campanelle has made only 10 starts during her three seasons of racing, but she makes every start count. The Irish-bred daughter of Kodiac raced by Stonestreet Stables has won six of her career starts and been third twice. In April at Keeneland, she closed from mid-pack in the listed 5 1/2-furlong Giant's Causeway Stakes to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
"She's won graded or group stakes at 2, 3, and 4," he said. "She'll be sitting from just off the pace, so if they are motoring up front, she's going to come running like she did in the spring."
The competitors from overseas include Trainers House Enterprises' Highfield Princess, who comes into the Breeders' Cup off three consecutive group 1 wins at three different tracks. The 5-year-old daughter of Night of Thunder is trained by John Quinn. She started her streak in the 6 1/2-furlong Arc Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) at Deauville that she won by three-quarters of a length. She followed with a win Aug. 19 in the five-furlong Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthrope Stakes (G1) at York by 2 1/2 lengths and then captured the Sept. 11 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Flying Five Stakes (G1) going five furlongs at the Curragh by 3 1/4 lengths.
Hronis Racing's Bran was scratched from the Turf Sprint after a Friday morning inspection by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians, while allowed Surfside Stables' Oceanic to draw in. Oceanic, a 5-year-old gelded son of Constitution , comes into the race off a second to Golden Pal in the Woodford Stakes.
Keeneland, Saturday, November 5, 2022, Race 4Entries: Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Creative Force (IRE) William T. Buick 126 Charles Appleby 10/1 2 2Flotus (IRE) Hollie Doyle 121 Simon Crisford 30/1 3 3Emaraaty Ana (GB) Ryan L. Moore 126 Kevin A. Ryan 20/1 4 4Campanelle (IRE) Lanfranco Dettori 123 Wesley A. Ward 8/1 5 5Go Bears Go (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 124 David Loughnane 30/1 6 6Highfield Princess (FR) Jason Hart 123 John Quinn 7/2 7 7Arrest Me Red (KY) John R. Velazquez 126 Wesley A. Ward 15/1 8 8Golden Pal (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 Wesley A. Ward 2/1 9 9Naval Crown (GB) James Doyle 126 Charles Appleby 30/1 10 10Caravel (PA) Tyler Gaffalione 123 Brad H. Cox 20/1 11 11Casa Creed (KY) Luis Saez 126 William I. Mott 6/1 12 12Bran (FR) Vincent Cheminaud 126 John W. Sadler 15/1 13 13Cazadero (KY) Flavien Prat 126 Brendan P. Walsh 20/1 14 14Artemus Citylimits (ON) Juan J. Hernandez 126 Michael J. Maker 30/1 15 15Dancing Buck (NY) Joel Rosario 126 Michelle Nevin 15/1 16 16Oceanic (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 126 Jordan Blair 30/1
