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Golden Pal Confirmed For Nunthorpe

Trainer Wesley Ward reports star sprinter Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) to be firing on all cylinders ahead of an intended tilt at the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20.

Last season's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner made a spectacular return to action in the GIII Quick Call S. at Saratoga last month and Ward has now given the green light to a trip to the Knavesmire, with Frankie Dettori in line for the ride.

Ward told PA Sport: “He had an unbelievable breeze on Saturday at Arlington Park (4f on soft turf in :51.80) and we're headed for the Nunthorpe. Straight after his last race we really didn't know what direction we were going. There was the option of waiting a couple more weeks for the G1 Flying Five (at the Curragh Sept. 12), but he's doing great and he's scheduled to leave Aug. 13.

“I had a talk with Paul Shanahan (of Coolmore) and he had a talk with Mr. Magnier, Mr. Smith and Mr. Tabor (owners). The Nunthorpe is kind of a stallion-maker race and carries a lot of weight at this time of year.

“He's got a direct flight from Indianapolis to Stansted and then off we'll go. Frankie is going to ride and we're excited.”

Golden Pal's task at York has, on paper at least, been made easier by the retirement of dual Nunthorpe hero Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a horse Ward admits he is full of admiration for.

“It's always a shame for racing every time a great old warrior like that is retired,” Ward said. “I have certainly been a big fan of his and have watched him for all these years. He got a big following, so any time the curtain is pulled down it's never good for racing. I wouldn't want to be taking him on when he's breathing fire, that's for sure!”

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McPeek Frustrated By ‘Nonsensical’ Denial Of Entries At Saratoga, Seeks Hearing

Though the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission officially released Saratoga's Barn 86 from quarantine on Aug. 1, trainer Ken McPeek told bloodhorse.com he was frustrated by his inability to enter horses to race on that date. McPeek and his lawyer, Andrew Mollica, filed a request for a hearing with the NYSGC as to why he was unable to enter horses until Sunday, essentially preventing those horses from racing until Aug. 6.

The quarantine began on July 11, when a filly trained by Jorge Abreu, with whom McPeek shares Barn 86, tested positive for equine herpesvirus. The filly was sent to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and is currently recovering. No other horses in the barn showed symptoms during the 21-day quarantine.

Multiple press releases and news reports indicated that the quarantine would be released on Aug. 1, provided there were no additional cases of EHV-1, so McPeek and his owners made plans to be able to race their horses from that date. He attempted to enter one horse for Aug. 1, three for Aug. 4, and three for Aug. 5, but since entries for those cards were taken before Aug. 1, NYSGC steward Braulio Baeza Jr. denied the entries.

Essentially, the quarantine was unnecessarily and inexplicably extended by another five days, McPeek argued.

“I am doing this so that the next time this happens, trainers and owners will not have to go through another situation like this where there are an extra three to five days when their horses cannot run because there is no clarity in New York. I don't want to see anyone else go through this,” McPeek told bloodhorse.com. “Officials need to address some standard operating procedures and protocols for everyone that make sense. To keep horses who have cleared quarantine from not running is nonsensical.

“What's the logic here?” he added. “It's been easier for (trainers) Marcus Vitali and Bob Baffert to run at Saratoga than me.”

Jackie’s Warrior ‘Rains’ Supreme in Amsterdam

Sunday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-1, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.46, sy.
1–JACKIE'S WARRIOR, 124, c, 3, by Maclean's Music
1st Dam: Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred
2nd Dam: Horah for Bailey, by Doneraile Court
3rd Dam: Horah for the Lady, by Rahy
($95,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-J. Kirk & Judy Robison; B-J & J
Stables (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 9-6-1-1, $1,058,964.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree
2–Drain the Clock, 124, c, 3, Maclean's Music–Manki, by
Arch. O-Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder
Stables & Michael Nentwig; B-Nick Cosato (KY); T-Saffie A.
Joseph, Jr. $40,000.
3–Crowded Trade, 118, c, 3, More Than Ready–Maude S, by
Jump Start. ($185,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Forging Oaks LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$24,000.
Margins: 7 1/4, 1, HF. Odds: 0.50, 3.40, 7.30.
Also Ran: Flash of Mischief, Mister Luigi, River Dog.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Leading 3-year-old sprinter Jackie's Warrior re-established his divisional supremacy following a tough-luck short-odds defeat last out with a comprehensive rout in the GII Amsterdam S. Sunday at Saratoga.

Starting his career with four open-lengths scores, including Grade I successes in the local Runhappy Hopeful S. and Champagne S. at Belmont, the $95,000 Keeneland September buy suffered his first setback when fading to fourth after moving into a fast pace in the GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Taken off the GI Kentucky Derby trail following a disappointing third in the GIII Southwest S. in his seasonal debut Feb. 27 at Oaklawn, the bay gamely held on to capture the GIII Pat Day Mile S. despite being pushed through sizzling fractions of :21.75 and :43.68. Again setting a scorching tempo in addition to navigating a troubled start last out in the GI Woody Stephens S., he was just worn down late by re-opposing Drain the Clock in a neck defeat.

Maintaining the confidence of the bettors as an overwhelming chalk against five rivals here, Jackie's Warrior engaged in a ding-dong battle with Drain the Clock through an enervating :21.46 quarter. Starting to do better than that rival inside the half-mile marker, he swiftly drew clear past an eye-popping :43.85 half, he entered the stretch in control while kept off the rail and finished with authority while wrapped up for the final sixteenth by Joel Rosario. Drain the Clock held second, giving Maclean's Music the exacta.

“He's a very special horse,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen, who moved within three wins of Dale Baird's record of 9,445 victories. “I think that he's shown that on many occasions. He gets the respect I think he deserves and it's extremely fun to watch him run. He won on an off track today, which is the first time, and to get that variable out of the way knowing that weather doesn't care how important we think something is, that he'll be able to handle that going forward. With his performance today on top of what he did in the Pat Day Mile, he'll have a lot to say in the one-turn division the rest of the year. I wouldn't be scared to run him against anybody anywhere going one turn and how do I measure that? We've had some good ones, and he's one of them.”

“He broke really well today; better than last time,” added Rosario. “He's fast and then he just kept going. That's what he likes to do. He just got out of there and does it so easy. He's amazing. He's so fast. It doesn't even feel like he's going that fast.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of 24 stakes winners, six graded stakes winners and four Grade I scorers for Maclean's Music, Jackie's Warrior has a juvenile Candy Ride (Arg) half-sister named Lenni Girl and a yearling half-brother by American Pharoah. His dam was bred to Into Mischief for 2022.

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McPeek Contests Decision to Deny His Entries

When his barn at Saratoga was placed under quarantine due to an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus, trainer Ken McPeek assumed his horses would be allowed to race starting Aug.1, the day the quarantine was due to be lifted. Instead, none of his entries for the Aug. 1, 4 and 5 cards were accepted because, McPeek was told, the horses were still under quarantine at the time entries were taken.

While it is too late to get his horses entered into the upcoming cards in question, McPeek, through his attorney Drew Mollica, has appealed and demanded a hearing over the matter, which Mollica charges, has caused his client “irreparable harm caused by the arbitrary and capricious denial of the ability to enter eligible horses trained by McPeek in races at Saratoga Racecourse …”

“Understanding that it is too late for these horses to run in these races, there are two very good reasons for doing what we are doing,” Mollica said. “First, McPeek feels aggrieved by the lack of respect shown for him and his owners and for fellow horsemen confronted with this situation. His position is that this just can't be. Secondly, we seek equitable relief, whatever that may be. We are seeking some relief. McPeek and his owners followed every protocol, did everything they were asked. They were committed to racing, trained for these races and had no opportunity to run. At some point, McPeek would like someone to be held accountable.”

Mollica listed seven horses McPeek had intended to run over the three days in question. He has not started a horse in Saratoga since July 15, the opening day of the meet.

Mollica said that McPeek and his owners were put on public notice by the commission that the horses affected by the quarantine would be released from quarantine and permitted to race starting Sunday, Aug. 1. Instead, the entries were denied. That led to Mollica reaching out to the stewards on July 30, some 3 ½ hours before the Aug. 3 card was drawn, in hopes that a hearing could be held and the McPeek horses could begin running as soon Aug. 4. He said he sent emails and placed phone calls to Gaming Commission steward Braulio Baeza Jr. and to the commission itself, none of which were returned.

“All New York horsemen need to know what the rules are,” Mollica said. “As I wrote in my letter, when the Gaming Commission created this protocol they were well aware that entries for August 1 and beyond took place prior to August 1. It's understood that if you are going to enter the population August 1, entries for August and beyond took place prior to August 1. To come up with an explanation that McPeek's horses were ineligible to run is completely illogical.”

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