Wesley Ward | Horse Racing Free Tips

Apr. 13 Insights: Well-Related Duo Debut at Keeneland

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WELL-RELATED DUO DEBUT AT KEENELAND
1st-KEE, $80K, Msw, 2yo, 4 1/2f, 1:00 p.m.
Wesley Ward season is upon us with early 2-year-old races being carded at Keeneland and he is represented here by a well-bred colt in ALIBI IKE (Munnings). The chestnut is out of GSP Dragic (Broken Vow), who is a daughter of GSW Letgomyecho (Menifee). That mare also produced champion and GI Kentucky Oaks prospect Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), GISW and Coolmore stallion Echo Town (Speightstown), GSW J Boys Echo (Mineshaft) and GSP Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song). TJCIS PPs

4th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 2:36 p.m.
Whisper Hill Farm homebred CHARGING LADY (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her belated career bow in this spot for Todd Pletcher. The bay is a half to 'TDN Rising Star' and recent GI Curlin Florida Derby runner-up Charge It (Tapit), who is under consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby. Charging Lady is the first foal out of $2.2-million KEESEP buy I'll Take Charge (Indian Charlie), who is a daughter of MGISW and blue hen Take Charge Lady (Dehere). That top broodmare's produce includes champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GISWs Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), as well as the dam of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and MGISW Omaha Beach (War Front).
TJCIS PPs

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Insight Outcomes: Mendez Upsets Well-Bet Ward Baby in Keeneland Debut

On an action-packed stakes weekend, insights were relatively light, featuring an upset of perennial 2-year-old powerhouse Wesley Ward in the Keeneland meet opener Friday and the unveiling of a $1.25-million purchase on the Aqueduct turf Saturday.

Friday's Insights: Laoban Full-Sister Debuts at Keeneland

1st-Keeneland, $60,904, Msw, 4-8, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :53.16, ft, 5 lengths.

The annual tradition of Wesley Ward dominating Keeneland's April 2-year-old races early and often was immediately interrupted by emerging California juvenile trainer Luis Mendez–starting his first-ever horse at Keeneland–and Flavien Prat thanks to five-length winner KING ADROCK (c, 2, Uncaptured–Gardening Leave, by Colonel John) in Friday's meet opener. The $25,000 Fasig-Tipton October buy prompted the pace, took over early in the stretch and kicked away smartly as the clear 51-10 second choice behind 2-5 Ward baby Dominicana (Uncle Mo). Favored as a filly facing males, the $300,000 Keeneland September buy wasn't away all that great and showed brief speed before retreating to finish sixth. Dominicana still possesses plenty of upside, as a full-sister to Laoban, who broke his maiden in his eighth start–at 27-1 in the GII Jim Dandy S. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Saturday's Insights: $1.25-Million American Pharoah Colt Debuts

3rd-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 4-9, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:39.96, gd, 1 length.
Speedway Stables' Colton Charlemagne (American Pharoah) brought intrigue to this Big A turf mile as a $1.25-million Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling buy and half-brother to MGSW/GISP Travel Column (Frosted), but the dark bay broke several lengths behind the field and never got involved as BAY STREET MONEY (g, 5, Street Sense–Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer) broke through in his ninth career start. One to watch coming out of this race is 16-1 runner-up Howe Street (Honor Code) for trainer Jorge Abreu. Breaking from the outside post in a 12-horse field, the John Gunther homebred was second-last out of the stalls, got carried wide into the clubhouse turn and bravely weaved through traffic in the stretch to finish a fast-closing second before blowing by the winner in the gallop-out. The dark bay earned an 81 Beyer for the effort. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Golden Pal Utterly Dominant in Shakertown

Wesley Ward has trained his fair share of fast horses in his career, but where it comes to Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), “this is the fastest of the fast.” That is some compliment, and few would quibble with him after watching the two-time Breeders' Cup winner treat nine fellow turf sprinters to a spectacular front-running tour-de-force in Saturday's GII Shakertown S. at Keeneland.

Sent off the prohibitive 3-5 chalk in his seasonal debut, Golden Pal–who overcame the 13 hole in a field of 14 to win the 2020 GII Juvenile Turf Sprint over this course and distance–blasted away from gate 10 and established a clear lead within a matter of yards. Allowed to make the running while racing in about the two path, he covered his opening quarter in a sensational :20.94 and maintained a daylight advantage on his rivals on the turn over a turf course that had taken better than three inches of rain over the course of the week. Still just galloping along off the fence turning for home, he got the half-mile in an other-worldly :43.58 and was never in any sort of danger. Johnny Unleashed (Colonel John) was second at 70-1, while Gear Jockey (Twirling Candy) rounded out the triple.

“He's just blessed with speed and agility,” Ward continued. “He moves like a cat; he's so quick. For a big, sturdy horse like he is–he's just a once-in-a-lifetime horse.”

Narrowly runner-up to The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) as a maiden in the 2020 G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, Golden Pal bested Cowan (Kantharos) in that year's Juvenile Turf Sprint, but was forced to miss a return trip to the Royal Meeting, making Saratoga's GIII Quick Call S. his first win at the graded level last July. Owner/breeder Randall Lowe sold the colt to the Coolmore partners and Westerberg, but he was a disappointing seventh in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. in August before bouncing back in Keeneland's GII Woodford S. in October. Golden Pal ran them off the feet in the GI Turf Sprint in his most recent appearance Nov. 6, and Ward indicated that the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 14 over a stiff five furlongs is next on the dance card.

Pedigree Notes:

Golden Pal is the first foal to the races for his dam, a Grade III winner and 10-times stakes winner overall, who also has a runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint to her record. Lady Shipman is a full-sister to Just Talkin, herself multiple stakes-placed in turf sprints, and whose first foal, an American Pharoah colt named Talkin Pharoah, was signed for by Ward for $260,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. The colt breezed three furlongs at Turfway Park in :35.40 Apr. 7. Lady Shipman is also the dam of the yearling colt Lieutenant General (Omaha Beach) and is due to Uncle Mo this season.

Saturday, Keeneland
SHAKERTOWN S.-GII, $317,657, Keeneland, 4-9, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.21, gd.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 126, c, 4, 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-Magnier, Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B., Smith, Derrick and Westerberg; B-Randall E Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $174,375. Lifetime Record: 9-6-2-0, $1,473,431. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Johnny Unleashed, 122, g, 5, Colonel John–Ready to Unleash, by More Than Ready. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($10,000 Ylg'18 KEESEP). O-Foster Family Racing, Reynolds, Lonnie, H & H Horses, LLC and Mills, Joseph; B-St. Simon Place, Scott Stephens & Betsy T Wells (KY); T-Eric N. Foster. $65,625.
3–Gear Jockey, 124, h, 5, Twirling Candy–Switching Gears, by Tapit. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II. $32,813.
Margins: 4 3/4, 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.60, 70.20, 9.80.
Also Ran: Diamond Oops, The Lir Jet (Ire), Just Might, Barraza, Natural Power (Ire), Chess Master, Filo Di Arianna (Brz). Scratched: Cowan.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Kimari Looks to Repeat in Madison

'TDN Rising Star' Kimari (Munnings) looks to successfully defend her GI Madison S. title Saturday at Keeneland. Twice second at Royal Ascot, the bay kicked off 2021 with a win in Oaklawn's Spring Fever S. and took the Madison next out. Sent to the sidelines after that effort, she was ambitiously spotted for her return off that seven-month layoff in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and she could only manage seventh to stablemate Golden Pal (Uncle Mo). Sent through the ring at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale just days later, Kimari summoned $2.7 million from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier and returned to Wesley Ward's care. She kicked off her 5-year-old campaign with a facile score in a 6 1/2-panel optional claimer on the Gulfstream main track Mar. 3.

Lady Rocket (Tale of the Cat) looks to pick up where she left off at the end of 2021. Earning her black-type victory in the Pink Ribbon S. at Charles Town in August, the dark bay checked in second in the GII Gallant Bloom H. Sept. 26 at Belmont. The Brad Cox trainee captured a sloppy renewal of Belmont's Pumpkin Pie S. Oct. 31 and romped by nine lengths in Aqueduct's GIII Go For Wand H. Dec. 4, earning a gaudy 107 Beyer Speed Figure for the one-turn mile. Cox also saddles the once-beaten GII Inside Information S. winner Just One Time (Not This Time).

Bell's the One (Majesticperfection), winner of the GI Derby City Distaff when run in September of 2020, dead-heated for second behind Kimari in last year's Madison and was fourth in the Derby City Distaff next out. The bay won the Roxelana S. back at Churchill in June and followed suit with a victory in Saratoga's GII Honorable Miss H. in July. A close second in the Open Mind S. beneath the Twin Spires Sept. 18, Bell's the One took this venue's GII TCA S. Oct. 9 and, after skipping the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, rallied to yet another score back in Louisville in the Dream Supreme S. Nov. 13.

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