Golden Pal Regains Winning Ways In Woodford Stakes Over Keeneland Turf

Prominent from the start, the Uncle Mo 3-year-old colt Golden Pal, proved too quick for his six rivals in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Woodford Stakes presented by TVG at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

Ridden by John Velazquez, the Wesley Ward runner went right to the front, fought off a challenge from Firecrow on the turn for home, then pulled away down the stretch under steady encouragement to win by 2 1/4 lengths. He covered 5 1/2 furlongs on good turf in 1:03.12 after fractions of :21.51, :44.53 and :56.67

“He was very game,” said Velazquez. “Before the race – I never rode him so I asked Julio (Garcia, an exercise rider and jockey for trainer Wesley Ward). He said, 'Just put your hands down and he'll run for you; even if he gets passed he'll run for you.' I left him alone and when the other horse (Firecrow) came to him and put the head in front, I was like, 'Hey, we got to come back and run.' I got after him, and he gradually got away from the other horse. It took me two or three jumps to engage him back into the race, and after that he was pretty good.”

Extravagant Kid, an 8-year-old turf veteran from the barn of Brendan Walsh, closed to be second, with County Final another half length back in third, Johnny Unleashed fourth, Inhalation fifth, Firecrow sixth and Charcoal seventh.

“We are delighted,” said Walsh. “We can never be disappointed with this horse. He ran great again. The winner is a very, very good horse. Extravagant Kid is a model of consistency.”

Owned by Mr. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, Golden Pal was winning for the fourth time in seven career starts. He paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite. He was bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe.

Golden Pal was coming off his worst performance, a seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York racecourse in England on Aug. 20. One of his other defeats came when narrowly beaten in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 2020. Out of the crack sprinter Lady Shipman, by Midshipman (she finished second against males in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in 2015), Golden Pal ran off three consecutive victories following the Norfolk, including a victory at Keeneland in the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

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Golden Pal Heads Keeneland’s Woodford

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's speedy sophomore Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will face off with 8-year-old Group 1 winning Extravagant Kid in Saturday's 5 1/2-furlong GII Woodford S. at Keeneland. A close-up second in last season's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, Golden Pal subsequently reeled off three consecutive stakes wins, including the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over this turf course last November followed by a confident victory in Saratoga's Quick Call S. July 15. Trained by Wesley Ward, Golden Pal finished seventh in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe at York in England Aug. 20 in his latest start. The Florida bred exits post two and be ridden by John Velazquez.

DARRS Inc.'s Extravagant Kid, winner of the six-furlong G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, will be making his first Keeneland start since finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last November. Following his win in Dubai, the gelding finished third in the June 15 G1 King's Stand S. at the royal meeting before posting an uncharacteristically poor 14th in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket July 10.

Bob LaPenta and Harlow Stables' Firecrow (Maclean's Music) looks to mark his return to the winner's circle following a fourth last out in Parx's five-panel GIII Turf Monster S. Sept. 25. Prior to that effort, the gelding came home the narrow victor in Pimlico's Jim McKay Turf Sprint S. at five furlongs May 15. Tyler Gaffalione enters the fray to ride.

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Mo Forza Flies Late For Second Consecutive City Of Hope Mile Score

Unhurried early under Flavien Prat, Mo Forza closed with a furious rush to nail front-running Smooth Like Strait in the final strides of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. The 5-year-old horse by Uncle Mo out of Inflamed, by Unusual Heat, was winning his fourth consecutive graded stakes – including last year's City of Hope Mile –  and eighth race overall from 14 starts.

Smooth Like Strait, who went to the lead under Umberto Rispoli, then allowed Red Storm Risen to head him in the run down the backstretch, edged a fast-closing Hit the Road for second as the 9-5 second choice. Hit the Road, off at 5-1, was well clear of Red Storm Risen in fourth and Order and Law completed the order of finish.

Trained by Peter Miller and owned by Bardy Farm and OG Boss, Mo Forza was bred in Kentucky by the late trainer Barry Abrams in the name of his Bardy Farm.

Mo Forza covered the mile on firm turf in 1:32.45 after fractions of :22.61, :46.66, 1:08.98 and 1:20.57. He paid $3.20 to win.

Mo Forza was coming off a hard-fought head victory over Smooth Like Strait in the G2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 21, his first start since last year's City of Hope Mile. In this year's edition of the City of Hope, Prat settled Mo Forza at the back of the pack as Smooth Like Strait rushed up to take command early from the five post, holding a clear advantage while rounding the first turn.

In the run down the backstretch, Joe Bravo swung Red Storm Risen – who had broken from the rail post – to the outside and ranged up alongside Smooth Like Strait, taking a short lead into the far turn.

Prat, meanwhile, kept Mo Forza to the outside of Hit the Rail and Florent Geroux, and commenced a rally around the three-eighths pole. At midstretch, Smooth Like Strait looked home free, but in the blink of an eye Mo Forza pounced on the front-runner with Hit the Road racing to his outside.

Mo Forza closed with a rush, hitting the front in the final strides and looking like a serious contender for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile to be held at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

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Second Chances: Uncle Mo Filly Earns Spot in Frizette Off Strong Debut Third

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

After storming home with an eye-catching rally to finish a close third on debut at Saratoga, A Mo Reay (f, 2, Uncle Mo–Margaret Reay, by Pioneerof the Nile) will get her shot at the big leagues in Sunday's 'Win and You're In' GI Frizette S. at Belmont Park.

The My Racehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm LLC colorbearer, off at 6-1 in her six-furlong unveiling for Todd Pletcher Aug. 29 (video), was under a ride and outsprinted in ninth through an opening quarter in :22.46. She finally started to get into the race nearing the quarter pole, but really had her work cut out for her as she was guided eight wide by Luis Saez at the top of the stretch.

The dark bay responded beautifully out in the clear while racing on her left lead down the center of the course, and, after finally switching over in deep stretch, came rocketing home in a field-best :12.60 to finish within a half-length of the highly regarded Gerrymander (Into Mischief). A Mo Reay earned a 71 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“She made a really impressive move,” said Joe Mishak, MyRacehorse's Racing Operations Manager.

“It took her about three quarters of the race to figure out what the heck was going on. She took a lot of dirt. When the light bulb finally went on, it was really exciting to see her fly down the lane and finish up and just miss that score there.”

A Mo Reay has breezed three times since her debut at Pletcher's Saratoga base, including a four-furlong move in :49.51 (14/35) Sept. 26. She will stretch out to a one-turn mile for the Frizette.

“It's definitely a big jump up in class with a heavy and deserving favorite [Echo Zulu] in the race,” Mishak said. “All of us viewed it as a winning effort, considering how that first race unfolded and the way she finished up. Really, though, the determining factor was listening to Todd's confidence in the filly. He's been really complimentary of her progression since the summer and anytime you have Todd in your corner saying, 'I think we should give it a shot,' you certainly have to give it strong consideration.

He continued, “And at the end of the day, she's got more training under her belt now, gets the added distance, and there should be a fair amount of pace in there. With her running style, she can come flying down the lane again and hopefully that's good enough.”

Bred by T & G Farm of Kentucky LLC, A Mo Reay brought $400,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. She was produced by grassy GIII Miss Grillo S. runner-up Margaret Reay, a half-sister to SW Lezendary (Zensational). This is also the female family of GISW Wonder Lady Anne L (Real Quiet). A Mo Reay is bred similar to Uncle Mo's GISW and promising young stallion Outwork, who is out of an Empire Maker mare.

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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