Golden Pal To Stand At Ashford Stud After Breeders’ Cup

Wesley Ward's speedball Golden Pal is set to retire to Coolmore America's Ashford Stud following his final start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5, where he bids to make it three straight Breeders' Cup successes.

Unbeaten in the U.S. since breaking his maiden in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga, the son of Uncle Mo has since won seven graded stakes over five and 5½ furlongs including last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, which he took in breathtaking fashion, along with the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland the previous November.

“This is the fastest of the fast,” exclaimed Wesley Ward after the colt's spectacular tour-de-force in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland in April. Ward has long maintained that Golden Pal is the best he has ever trained.

Golden Pal's sire Uncle Mo and broodmare sire Midshipman were both Breeders' Cup Juvenile winners on the main track while his dam Lady Shipman won 13 times, earned over $900,000 and set a course record of 1:00.46 for Saratoga's 5½-furlong turf course.

“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 Stakes and Uncle Mo has made a very good start as a sire of sires so it's all good news.”