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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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A Winner of 7,396 Races, Jockey Dave Gall Passes

The fifth-leading rider of all time in wins, David Gall passed away Sunday at the age of 79.

The news was confirmed by his former agent, Mark Cooper.

Riding primarily at Fairmount Park (now known as Fanduel Sportsbook & Horse Racing) and now-defunct Cahokia Downs, two lower-level Illinois tracks that serve the St. Louis area, Gall rode for 43 years and piled up 7,369 wins, more than Hall of Famers like Chris McCarron, Angel Cordero Jr. and Jorge Velasquez. Yet, because he never ventured to the major tracks, Gall's accomplishments went largely unnoticed outside of the St. Louis area.

He had 41,775 career mounts. He was twice leading rider in the country, winning 479 races in 1979 and 376 in 1981. He once won eight races on a 10-race card at Cahokia Downs.

Despite all his success, he never tried to break in at higher- level tracks. According to equineline.com, he won only one graded stakes race, the 1993 GIII Fairmount Derby.

“In my mid-30s, I realized I wasn't going to make it big,” he told the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, of which he is a member. “I never joined the rat race because I don't like rat races. I like horse races.”

“He would have been a decent rider on the major circuits,” said Dave Johnson, the announcer at Fairmount and Cahokia from 1965 through 1971. “At Fairmount and Cahokia, he could ride rings around the other jockeys. He was just better than the regular riders. And when the kids or the apprentices showed up, he would fool them in the stretch. He would make them think that his horse was finished and they were going to win it. Then he would speed up and win the race. He undressed them. Remember, these were the bush tracks, a big step down from Arlington Park.

Born in Rose Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada, Gall lied about his age so that he could begin riding professionally at age 15. He started off at the tracks in Western Canada before making it to St. Louis. He said the Illinois tracks were not his final destination and he wanted to try major tracks elsewhere, but he decided to stay because he immediately started winning races and making money.

It was there that he earned the nickname “The General.” It was given to him by track announcer Todd Creed, who noticed that when Gall's name was abbreviated as “D. Gall” it sounded exactly the same as renowned French General Charles de Gaulle.

He last rode in 1999, calling it a career at age 57. At the time, he trailed only Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Pat Day for total career wins.

“It's not as much fun as it used to be,” he said when announcing his retirement.

He turned to training and won 157 races in his new profession. He left training in 2011.

He is also a member of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame and was the 1966 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.

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Daniel Hughes Creates Fund at LSU Vet School

Daniel Hughes, CEO of Alabama's Robin Lane Thoroughbreds, has given a $30,000 gift to the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine Equine Health Studies Program. The gift, called the Donald K. Bos and Robin Lane Thoroughbreds LLC Equine Support Fund, will provide general support to continue the program's mission of providing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for ill and injured horses.

The gift honors the late Donald “DJ” Bos, a lifelong horseman. “His positive spirit as a founder of Robin Lane Thoroughbreds was instrumental in establishing the success and values of the stable that proudly remembers him with every foal and every race,” Hughes said.

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 30 veterinary schools in the U.S.

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Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Moves into Cryptocurrency Realm

Fasig-Tipton has partnered with Crypto.com, a cryptocurrency company with the world's fastest-growing crypto app, and Swapp Protocol, a blockchain-based DeFi platform, to offer cryptocurrency payment and rewards services at the upcoming Saratoga Sale. Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, to be held Aug. 9-10, will be the first Thoroughbred auction to accept cryptocurrency as payment for equine purchases.

Buyers who use cryptocurrency at Saratoga will receive cryptocurrency rewards with the buyer of the most expensive horse–paid with cryptocurrency–receiving one million SWAPP tokens, which are exchangeable for various fiat and cryptocurrencies.

“As Fasig-Tipton approaches its 100th Saratoga Sale, we are excited to partner with Crypto.com and Swapp to offer cryptocurrency payment and rewards services at our flagship yearling sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning. “Fasig-Tipton aims to be a forward-thinking member of the Thoroughbred industry and we are proud to be the first Thoroughbred auction company in the world to embrace cryptocurrency. Through these partnerships we will introduce individuals and parties that participate in the crypto space to the exhilarating world of horse racing for the very first time, and growing our sport is a priority of the utmost importance at Fasig-Tipton.”

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