Randall Lowe's speedy homebred Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) overcame the 13 hole and a few awkward strides to kick off the Breeders' Cup action Friday while providing trainer Wesley Ward with his second consecutive victory in the GII Juvenile Turf Sprint. Looking to avenge his dam Lady Shipman (Midshipman)'s neck second in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint over this same course and distance, the 4-5 favorite blasted out of the gate and cleared off early until Irad Ortiz, Jr. tapped on the brakes and Golden Pal began to toss his head about. The chalk was swamped on both sides by foes approaching the turn, but was given his head again and began to edge clear around the bend. He was a couple lengths clear and seemingly on cruise control heading for home. Far in front after a :44.63 half, his lead diminished in the final furlong, but victory always looked pretty close to certain as the bay struck the wire 3/4 of a length to the good over slow-starting Cowan (Kantharos). British invader Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) completed the trifecta.
“He's a really nice horse,” Ortiz said. “He did the hard job. I just sat on him waiting for the time to go. He ran great. He really has a lot of potential.”
A close second at 1-2 odds on the Gulfstream dirt back in April behind a subsequently stakes-placed runner, Golden Pal nearly made all the running in Royal Ascot's G2 Norfolk S., only to be collared on the line by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf also-ran The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}). He resurfaced in Saratoga's Skidmore S. Aug. 21, and put it all together to best stablemate Fauci (Malibu Moon) by 3 1/2 lengths while earning a standout 92 Beyer Speed Figure. He was scratched out of the local Indian Summer S. Oct. 4 in favor of training up to the Breeders' Cup.
“He's just amazing,” said Wesley Ward, whose win 12 months ago came with Four Wheel Drive (American Pharoah). “I got a little worried on the backside. Irad kind of lost a little momentum there and took a pretty good hold of him, but then he just accelerated down the lane. When he accelerated past the quarter pole, I knew we were OK. I got a little worried on the last part and was hugging onto my son, but we got there. He's a champion colt. Thank God [Randy Lowe] gave him to me to train. I really appreciate it. [Next year's Breeders' Cup] is where we're heading, but first we're going to Royal Ascot. Here we come. He's going to get them [next] year!”
For more on how Ward came to train Golden Pal, listen to the TDN Writer's Room podcast. Ward was represented by three other runners in the Juvenile Turf: After Five (The Factor), Into the Sunrise (Into Mischief) and Blame the Booze (Blame).
“When he was born, I went into our stall and the mares are very protective when babies are born,” recalled owner/breeder Randy Lowe. “I went in there and stood there and put my hand out and he came right over and put his chin in the palm of my hand and I knew from that point on he was going to be something special.”
For more on Lowe, click here for a Second Chances feature following Golden Pal's debut second this spring.
Pedigree Notes:
Golden Pal becomes the 39th graded stakes winner for Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), winner of the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and an emerging sire of sires. Uncle Mo's BC Juvenile-winning son Nyquist was represented by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Vequist two races later.
Golden Pal is the first foal to race out of brilliant 13-time winner Lady Shipman (Midshipman), who missed by a neck in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Lady Shipman has not produced a live foal since Golden Pal and was bred back to Omaha Beach for 2021.
Golden Pal is the first and only stakes winner from limited foals thus far out a mare by Midshipman, who took the Breeders' Cup Juvenile himself in 2008.
Friday, Santa Anita
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF SPRINT-GII, $920,000, Keeneland, 11-6, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.82, gd.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 122, c, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Lady Shipman (GSW & GISP, $902,387),
by Midshipman
2nd Dam: Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim
3rd Dam: Nannetta, by Falstaff
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($325,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP).
O-Ranlo Investments LLC; B-Randall E Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A.
Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $520,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng,
4-2-2-0, $593,056. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cowan, 122, c, 2, Kantharos–Tempers Flair, by Smart Strike.
($185,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $385,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR).
O-L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables LLC &
Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $170,000.
3–Ubettabelieveit (Ire), 122, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Ladylishandra
(Ire), by Mujadil. (€35,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV; 50,000gns Ylg '19
TATOCT). O-Martin Webb Racing; B-Ringfort Stud (IRE); T-Nigel
Tinkler. $90,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.80, 11.10, 26.90.
Also Ran: Lipizzaner, After Five, County Final, Momos, Bodenheimer, Dirty Dangle, Windy City Red, Mighty Gurkha (Ire), Second of July, Into the Sunrise, Blame the Booze. Scratched: Amanzi Yimpilo (Ire), Gypsy King, Trade Deal.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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