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Nine-Month Layoff No Problem For Breeders’ Cup Winner Golden Pal In Saratoga’s Quick Call

Stakes action for the 2021 meet at Saratoga Race Course kicked off in exciting fashion on Thursday's Opening Day as highly regarded turf sprinter Golden Pal returned to the Spa with vigor, posting a three-length victory in the Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call for 3-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs over the Mellon turf course in front of 27,760 fans in attendance.

Golden Pal shook off eight months of rust from his previous outing in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on November 6 at Keeneland. That three-quarter length win came after another astounding Spa stakes win in the Skidmore at 5 ½ furlongs last August.

Golden Pal gave Coolmore partners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg another graded stakes triumph on the NYRA circuit less than a week after respective victories with Santa Barbara and Bolshoi Ballet in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks and Grade 1 Belmont Derby on Saturday.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. nudged Golden Pal coming out of the gate and the talented bay responded swiftly, blitzing through the opening quarter-mile in a torrid 21.92 seconds over good turf. Jaxon Traveler kept close company in second as the field came around the far turn, but Ortiz, Jr. did not call on his charge until just past the quarter-pole.

Golden Pal extended his advantage in mid-stretch and was wrapped up past the sixteenth-pole, completing the journey in 1:02.99.

Florida invader Omaha City closed late for second, edging Jaxon Traveler by a half-length.

Rebel Posse, Second of July and Kentucky Pharoah completed the order of finish. Fauci and main track only entrants Mr. Sippi and Fire Sword were scratched.

Ortiz, Jr., who has never lost aboard Golden Pal in three starts, said he was pleased with the effort.

“He's a nice horse. I'm happy he came back where he left off,” said Ortiz, Jr., who piloted Charlie'sarchangel to victory in the first race on Opening Day. “He broke really nice for me. When I asked him, he responded really well. I didn't want to ask too early. I didn't want him to do too much, he's been off for a long time.”

Trainer Wesley Ward, who won his first graded stakes at the Spa, could not help but sing high praises on behalf of his talented colt.

“He's so extremely talented and quick,” Ward said. “He's a big horse and he moves like a cat and that's where he really has an advantage. I was a little concerned going into the race that I didn't have a gate work into him, but he's so smart that he overcame that in the first jump. When they said 'go,' he was gone.

“I like sprinters off layoffs,” Ward continued. “I think they run their best races off layoffs, more so than the distance horses. I think they need spacing in between because they are so fast and put so much into it, especially the first part of the race.”

Ward said the long term goal for Golden Pal is the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar.

“The bigger races are here in the next months and heading into the fall and then the Breeders' Cup, so this is when you want to see them do this,” Ward said.

Upping his consistent record to 5-3-2-0, Golden Pal added $66,000 to a bankroll which now stands at $659,056. He returned $2.40 as the 1-5 post-time favorite.

Bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe, Golden Pal is out of the Midshipman mare Lady Shipman, who notched two of her 11 stakes triumphs at Saratoga in the 2015 Coronation Cup and Smart N Fancy.

Live action resumes Friday with a 10-race program headlined by the Grade 3, $150,000 Forbidden Apple for 4-year-olds and upward going one mile over the inner turf course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

The post Nine-Month Layoff No Problem For Breeders’ Cup Winner Golden Pal In Saratoga’s Quick Call appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Golden Pal Back and Still Brilliant in Quick Call

Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), off since a front-running tally in last year's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland, returned as sharp as ever to dominate the GIII Quick Call S. on Saratoga's opening day card Thursday. Pounded down to 1-5 favoritism while making his first start since being acquired privately by the Coolmore partners and Georg von Opel's Westerberg from his breeder Randall Lowe, the bay looked like a winner every step of the way, clicking off splits of :21.92 and :44.88 without much company and cruising away to a geared-down three-length victory in 1:02.99 over the good ground. Rank outsider Omaha City (Temple City) spiced up the exacta at 36-1, while 'TDN Rising Star' Jaxon Traveler (Munnings) checked in third in his first turf attempt.

“He's a nice horse,” said winning pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr., who had ridden Golden Pal in both of his wins last term. “I'm happy he came back where he left off. He broke really nice for me. When I asked him, he responded really well. I didn't want to ask too early. I didn't want him to do too much, he's been off for a long time.”

Golden Pal is expected to take on the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20.

Bought back for $325,000 as a KEESEP '19 yearling, the son of brilliant turf sprinter Lady Shipman (Midshipman) was a close second at 1-2 in his main-track Gulfstream unveiling last April, and missed by a neck in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot that June. He broke through by an emphatic 3 1/2 lengths in this venue's Skidmore S. in August, and justified heavy favoritism at the Breeders' Cup, holding on by 3/4 of a length after showing the way.

“He's so extremely talented and quick,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “He's a big horse and he moves like a cat and that's where he really has an advantage. I was a little concerned going into the race that I didn't have a gate work into him, but he's so smart that he overcame that in the first jump. When they said 'go,' he was gone.”

As for the time off, Ward explained, “I like sprinters off layoffs. I think they run their best races off layoffs, more so than the distance horses. I think they need spacing in between because they are so fast and put so much into it, especially the first part of the race.”

Thursday, Saratoga
QUICK CALL S.-GIII, $120,000, Saratoga, 7-15, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.99, gd.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 124, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Lady Shipman (GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-USA, $902,387), by Midshipman
2nd Dam: Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim
3rd Dam: Nannetta, by Falstaff
($325,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael
Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Randall E Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A.
Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $66,000. Lifetime Record:
GSP-Eng, 5-3-2-0, $659,056. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Omaha City, 120, c, 3, Temple City–Lady Of Harrods (Aus), by
Dubawi (Ire). ($5,500 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Mohamed & Bibi N.
Jehaludi; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Amzadali Jehaludi.
$24,000.
3–Jaxon Traveler, 122, c, 3, Munnings–Listen Boy, by After
Market. ($80,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR).
'TDN Rising Star' O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Marvin
Delfiner; B-A. Leonard Pineau (MD); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$14,400.
Margins: 3, HF, 6 1/4. Odds: 0.20, 36.00, 4.20.
Also Ran: Rebel Posse, Second of July, Kentucky Pharoah. Scratched: Fauci, Fire Sword, Mr Sippi.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Golden Pal is one of 40 graded winners for his top sire, but is the only one out of a Midshipman mare–two are out of mares by Midshipman's sire Unbridled's Song. He is the lone stakes winner from a small number of mares so far for Midshipman.

Lady Shipman, perhaps among the most talented runners in recent memory to have never won a Grade I–she missed by a neck in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint–was also bred by Lowe and he still owns her. She produced an Omaha Beach colt Mar. 24 and is back in foal to Uncle Mo. A Violence half-brother to Lady Shipman RNA'd for $170,000 earlier this week at Fasig-Tipton July.

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Summer Southern Hemisphere Breeding Season Rates Set For Domestic Ashford Stud Residents

Ashford Stud has revealed its 2021 Southern Hemisphere season fees for its stallion roster remaining at the Versailles, Ky., farm over the summer, the South American publication Turf Diario reports.

A total of 10 stallions will be on offer for breedings on Southern Hemisphere time, led by champion Uncle Mo, whose advertised fee for the season is $30,000.

The 13-year-old son of Indian Charlie's Southern Hemisphere runners are led by Man From Uncle, who is a multiple group stakes winner in Australia. Other runners of note on that side of the world include Australian group-placed Moqueen, St Covet's Spirit, Miss Moana, and Sister Sledge.

Two young stallions will stand for $10,000: the international runner Caravaggio, whose first foals are 2-year-olds of 2021, and Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, who recently completed his first Northern Hemisphere season at stud. Tiz the Law was initially scheduled to stand in Chile this summer, but he will remain in the U.S.

Maximum Security and Classic Empire will stand for $7,500, while Air Force Blue, Cupid, Echo Town, and Mo Town will stand for $5,000.

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Catalog Released For 100th Saratoga Sale

A total of 210 yearlings by many of the world's top stallions have been cataloged for the 100th renewal of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, to be held Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 9 and 10, in Saratoga Springs, NY. Evening sessions begin each night at 6:30 p.m.

The Saratoga Sale is the first major North American yearling sale to be held as many as 100 times. The boutique event was canceled last summer owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, marking the first time since World War II that the sale had not been held.

To commemorate the 100th Saratoga Sale, this year's catalogue includes a fold out timeline that outlines major events in the sale's history, as well as a gallery of the sale's most prominent graduates through the years.

“We are returning to Saratoga in style this year, as we celebrate the sale of a century, the 100th Saratoga Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning, Jr. “For 100 years, Saratoga has produced breed-shapers, champions, classic winners, and international stars. This year's catalogue is outstanding, offering the type of quality that has drawn buyers to Saratoga in search of the sport's very best for a century.”

Those buyers, who will take a break from racing across Union Avenue, will have the cream of the crop of established stallions from which to choose. The irrepressible Into Mischief has 19 cataloged, including a colt out of of 2016 GI Test S. heroine Paola Queen (Flatter). Among 15 in the catalog for the outstanding Uncle Mo is a May-foaled son of GISW Dame Dorothy (Bernardini), the dam of 'TDN Rising Star' Spice Is Nice (Curlin), while a half-dozen by perennial leading sire Tapit includes a half-sister to the undefeated and stakes-bound Carribean Caper (Speightstown). Other top stallions with yearlings on offer include the young progeny of American Pharoah, Candy Ride (Arg), Curlin, Distorted Humor, Ghostzapper, leading freshman sire Gun Runner, Medaglia d'Oro, Munnings, Nyquist, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Street Sense and War Front.

Approximately a quarter of the Saratoga catalog is comprised of freshman yearling sires, many of which performed well during the New Sire Showcase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale in Lexington July 13. Triple Crown hero Justify (Scat Daddy) has 14 cataloged, including siblings to fellow freshman sire Tapwrit (Tapit) and 'Rising Star' and recently GSP Inject (Frosted), GI Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior), as well as a New York-bred son of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint upsetter Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro). Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) has a baker's dozen set to go through the ring, while other freshmen include Army Mule (Friesan Fire); City of Light (Quality Road); Good Magic (Curlin); Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy); Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy); and West Coast (Flatter).

“Recent graduates like Grade I winners Known Agenda, Valnaince, Flagstaff and current undefeated 3-year-old colt ['TDN Rising Star'] First Captain are carrying on the century long tradition of Saratoga Sale quality,” continued Browning. “We look forward to welcoming buyers and sellers back to our historic sales grounds this August as we offer the next generation of racing's stars.”

The catalog is now online and may be viewed by clicking here and will also be available in the Equineline sales app. Print catalogs are also available.

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