Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Golden Pal worked five-eighths over the Oklahoma training turf Friday in 59.78 in company with Lyrical Poet [1:01.22] in preparation for the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older horses on August 5.
Golden Pal, working to the outside of his stablemate, was timed by NYRA clockers through three-eighths in 36 flat and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 as the pair galloped out strongly through the turn and onto the backstretch.
“As every work goes by, I'm relishing them because he's heading to stud next year,” Ward said. “I just enjoy watching an extreme talent like that breeze every week. That's what trainers love – seeing great horses breeze and breeze great.”
Golden Pal boasts a record of 10-6-2-0 for purse earnings in excess of $1.4 million led by scores in the 2020 Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland and last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
He is undefeated in two starts at Saratoga, including scores in the 2020 Skidmore and last year's Grade 3 Quick Call. Golden Pal, who captured the Grade 2 Shakertown in April at Keeneland in his seasonal debut, enters the Troy from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Kings Stand on June 14 at Ascot.
Ward said Golden Pal continues to train well as he looks to build on a campaign that he hopes will see his charge join Goldikova and Beholder as three-time Breeder's Cup winners.
“He was doing good going into Ascot and he's doing just as good now,” Ward said. “I don't think there's too many that will go 3-for-3 at the Breeders' Cup, but that's what we're shooting for.”
The 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt is out of the 11-time stakes-winning turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who captured Saratoga's Coronation Cup and Smart N Fancy in 2015.
Lyrical Poet, a 5-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding owned, bred and trained by Ward, is out of the speedy Bring the Heat mare One Hot Wish, who won a pair of sprints for Ward led by an 8 1/2-length allowance romp at Gulfstream Park in 2008 that garnered a 91 Beyer. He was last seen posting a three-quarter length allowance score on April 21 over good Keeneland turf.
“That's a nice horse. He's a barn favorite,” Ward said. “We're hoping to find him an allowance race.”
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