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It's not just the unbeaten and untested favourite Flightline running in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Race Course for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Just as much praise should be given to Golden Pal. When it comes to defending his crown in the Nov. 5 Turf Sprint, Golden Pal looks as unbeatable as a horse can be in a sport where there are precious few sure things. Defending champions Goldikova and Beholder are the only other horses to win the Breeders' Cup three times; the victor of the 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint hopes to join their ranks. From 2008-2010, Goldikova was unbeatable in the Mile. Beholder has won the Distaff in 2013 and 2016. In 2012, he won the Juvenile Fillies. If you've been one of the lucky few to see one of Golden Pal's four starts at Keeneland, you know he's never stubbed his toe there. He had an outstanding last preparation there for the Turf Sprint. In the Woodford Stakes, he and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who is perfectly suited to his quick pace, swept from the starting gate to the finish. The FanDuel-sponsored horse finished the 5 1/2-mile race in a stakes-record 1 minute, 39 seconds.
Although longshot Oceanic rallied to be second, 1 ½ lengths from the front, truth is he never had a prayer. As Jordan Blair, Oceanic’s trainer, lamented afterward, “It is nearly impossible to beat Golden Pal.”
Winner of eight of his 12 races to date, Golden Pal has been owned by Westerberg Limited, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. He has placed second twice and taken home a total of $1,815,131. The bay blur's trainer, Wesley Ward, has been singing his praises as the horse prepares for what is likely to be his final race. The quickest horse in the world, in his opinion. What American trainers can do across the pond at one of the world's most renowned race meetings is demonstrated by the fact that Ward, 54, has called the son of Uncle Mo the best horse he has ever had in a barn that has produced 12 breakthrough victories at Royal Ascot. Ward, a former jockey originally from Selah, Washington, with six wins, five seconds, and nine thirds in the Breeders' Cup. Since the event's inception in 2018, he has won all three editions of the Juvenile Turf Sprint. In terms of Cup earnings, his $5,328,345 puts him at number 27 all-time.
Ward describes Golden Pal as the total package – size, speed, strength and intelligence. “He just loves his job. He wants to be a racehorse. He wants to go out there and run,” the trainer said.
After potentially winning his third consecutive Breeders' Cup World Championships race in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (Gr.1T) on November 5 at Keeneland, Grade 1 winner Golden Pal will retire to stud the following year at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud. The 4-year-old son of Ashford's Uncle Mo is undefeated in the United States and has won seven graded stakes over five and 5 1/2 furlongs, including last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, which he won in gate-to-wire fashion by 1 1/4 lengths. He broke his maiden at age 2 in the 2020 Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The 2-year-old Golden Pal won the Juvenile Turf Sprint (Gr.2T) at Keeneland and qualified for the Breeders' Cup for the first time.
"This is the fastest of the fast," said trainer Wesley Ward after the colt's tour-de-force April 9 in the Shakertown Stakes (Gr.2T) at Keeneland. The colt followed that victory with a win in the Troy Stakes (Gr.3T) at Saratoga and the Oct. 8 Woodford Stakes Presented by FanDuel (Gr.2T) at Keeneland. Ward has long maintained that Golden Pal is the best he has ever trained.