Dual Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo–Lady Shipman, by Midshipman) will retire to Coolmore America's Ashford Stud after attempting to win his third consecutive Breeders' Cup race next week. The Wesley Ward pupil won the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in 2021 and the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2020. Owned by the partnership of Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith, Golden Pal will make his final career start in the Turf Sprint Nov. 5 at Keeneland before standing alongside his sire at Ashford.
“We've followed Golden Pal's career closely and he's a very welcome addition to our roster,” said Ashford's Dermot Ryan. “He has speed to burn and like many of those by Uncle Mo, he's a very good-looking horse. I don't think any horse has come close to beating him here in the U.S. since he broke his maiden in the Skidmore S. [at two] and Uncle Mo has made a very good start as a sire of sires, so it's all good news!”
In a career spanning three years, Golden Pal is enjoying perhaps his best season yet as he opened the year with a visually impressive 4 3/4-length win in Keeneland's GII Shakertown S. and shipped to England for a rough trip in the G1 Kings Stand S. before returning stateside for back-to-back scores in Saratoga's GIII Troy S. and Keeneland's GII Woodford S., his second consecutive victory in that race. Overall, he's won eight black-type events–seven graded–and placed in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. His current record stands at 12-8-2-0 with earnings of $1,815,131. All of his wins have come between five and 5 1/2 furlongs.
“This is the fastest of the fast,” said Wesley Ward after the Shakertown. Ward has made no secret about his feeling that Golden Pal is the best he has ever trained.
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