breeders' cup juvenile turf sprint | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ranlo Investments' Golden Pal surged to the front and drew away in the stretch, posting an impressive 3 ½-length score in a gate-to-wire victory in Friday's $85,000 Skidmore for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course.

After a runner-up effort by a neck in his turf debut last out in the Group 2 Norfolk on June 19 at England's Royal Ascot, Golden Pal shipped back to the United States and entered the sixth running of the Skidmore off three strong breezes at Saratoga. That momentum carried over into the afternoon, where Golden Pal broke sharp from the outermost post 6 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, leading the field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.99 seconds and the half in 44.37 on the Mellon turf course labeled firm.

Out of the turn, Golden Pal opened up even more while never seriously challenged, completing 5 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:00.88 [challenging the track record of 1:00.21 set by Carotari in August 2019].

“He's a really cool horse,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “It's special when you get on horses like that. I'm so happy to be able to get on him. Hopefully he stays sound and healthy and he can keep doing what he did today.”

Golden Pal, the 2-5 favorite, returned $2.90 on a $2 win wager and improved his career earnings to $73,056. Trainer Wesley Ward said the effort could set up the Uncle Mo colt for a spot in the Grade 2, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint going 5 ½ furlongs on November 6 at Keeneland, where Ward is primarily stabled.

“He's something special, this guy. I think we just got a little peek at it,” Ward said. “From everything we've seen here, they're coming into his homecourt like Michael Jordan in the United Center in the Breeders' Cup this year. He's a very, very nice colt. I'm very thankful for the owner.

Bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe, who operates under the nom de course Ranlo Investments, Golden Pal made his career debut on April 17 over Gulfstream Park's main track, running second to Gatsby before traveling to the prestigious Royal Ascot meet two months later, where he led the field before The Lir Jet won in the final jumps. He is out of 11-time stakes-winning turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who was also bred and campaigned by Lowe.

“[The owner] afforded me the time that myself and my team has needed, and this horse had some issues and my team has really worked hard on this guy,” Ward said. “He's so fast and he's so gifted. To get him to this point is special.”

Ward trained the exacta, with Fauci finishing four lengths clear of Sky's Not Falling for second. Sunny Isles Beach, also trained by Ward, ran fourth, followed by Kentucky Knight and Baytown Bear.

“My horse broke good but the other horse [Golden Pal] had more speed, so I wasn't going to go up there and battle head and head,” said Fauci jockey Tyler Gaffalione. “He settled nicely and put in a nice run down the lane, but the other horse was much the best today.

“He's [Golden Pal] pretty quick. He's a nice horse,” Gaffalione added. “I rode him in his first start and he's a really fast horse, but it seems like he's starting to get the mental side of it now.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that includes the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave for 3-years-old and up going one mile on the inner turf in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

The post Golden Pal To Target Breeders’ Cup After Easy Skidmore Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Eye of Heaven (GB), Qatar Racing Ltd.'s The Lir Jet (IRE), and the Wesley Ward- trained Golden Pal lead 14 entered for Friday's (June 19) 5-furlong, US$62,000 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds (G2) at Royal Ascot. A victory in the Norfolk will give the winner an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races, whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov 6-7.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Norfolk to start in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, an open race for 2-year-olds, which will be run at 5 ½ furlongs over the Keeneland turf course on Nov. 6 as a part of the “Future Stars Friday” program. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

The Norfolk Stakes is the third of four Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” races to be conducted during the Royal Ascot meeting. The race will be televised live on NBCSN and TVG on Friday at approximately 9:25 a.m. ET in the U.S.

Eye of Heaven, a bay son of Exceed and Excel (AUS), has attracted early wagering interest among the contenders. Trained by Mark Johnston and ridden by Frankie Dettori, Eye of Heaven broke his maiden in the EBF Betway Stallions Novice Stakes at 5-furlongs on June 4 at Newmarket as the even-money favorite. He passed Get It (GB) with one furlong remaining and went on to register victory by three-quarters of a length.

The Lir Jet (IRE), trained by Michael Bell, made an even bigger splash in his debut, breaking the all-aged 5-furlong track record at Yarmouth in his June 3 debut. The colt, from the first crop of 2016 Norfolk Stakes winner Prince Of Lir (IRE), was subsequently bought privately by Qatar Racing.

“The track record was a surprise but it wasn't a surprise that he won because he had been showing up well at home,” Bell said last week. “The conditions were very favorable that day, quickish ground and the wind was helping.

“To break an all-aged track record on debut, carrying 9st 2lb (128 pounds), is not easily done. It was an eye-catching performance which caught the attention of Sheikh Fahad [al Thani of Qatar Racing] and hopefully he will be rewarded.”

Ward describes the Royal Ascot meeting as “The Breeders' Cup in June.” A 10-time Royal Ascot-winning trainer, Ward could be formidable in the Norfolk with Ranlo Investments LLC's Golden Pal. Bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe, Golden Pal is a bay son of 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo, out of Lady Shipman by 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Midshipman. Golden Pal is the first foal from Lady Shipman, an 11-time stakes winner.

In his lone start, Golden Pal finished second in a 4 ½-furlong maiden race on dirt at Gulfstream Park on April 17. After being bumped out of the gate, Golden Pal rushed to the lead and gave way grudgingly to finish three-quarters of a length behind Gatsby. Golden Pal will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni.

Ward has won the Norfolk Stakes twice, with No Nay Never in 2013 — who still holds the 2-year-old track record — and the filly Shang Shang Shang in 2018.

Aidan O'Brien, who has trained three Norfolk Stakes winners with Johannesburg (IRE), who also captured the 2001 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Waterloo Bridge (IRE) and Sioux Nation, sends out Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier's Lipizzaner. Bred in Kentucky by Irish Lights Syndicate, Lipizzaner, a bay son of Uncle Mo out of Irish Lights (AUS) by Fastnet Rock (AUS), has finished second as the favorite in both his starts at Naas. He was defeated by a half-length to Poetic Flare (IRE) in an EBF Maiden on March 23 at Naas, and was headed at the wire by Lucky Vega (IRE) in a 6-furlong maiden on June 8. Ryan Moore has the mount.

Also of interest is M A R Blencowe's Imperial Force (IRE), trained by Andrew Balding. A bay son of Camacho (GB), Imperial Force was beaten by 1 1/4 lengths in his debut in a 6-furlong EFB maiden at Newmarket on June 4.

The Norfolk Stakes is the third of four Breeders' Cup Challenge races to be run during the Royal Meeting. On Tuesday, Circus Maximus (IRE), earned a “Win and You're In” berth into the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) by winning the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) On Wednesday, Lord North (IRE) won the for an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) by taking the Prince of Wales's Stakes. On Saturday, an automatic berth in to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint will be on the line in the 6-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1).

The post Ward-Trained Golden Pal Aims For Breeders’ Cup Berth In Friday’s Norfolk At Royal Ascot appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post