Golden Pal will stand at Ashford Stud after Breeders' Cup start

Wesley Ward’s speedy Golden Pal, expected to be the heavy favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, is set to retire to Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud after the race at Keeneland on Nov. 5, the farm announced Wednesday.

Unbeaten in eight starts in the U.S. since breaking his maiden in August 2020 in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga, the 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo has won seven graded stakes over 5 and 5 1/2 furlongs, including last year’s Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Keeneland the previous November.

See Ed DeRosa's fair odds for the Breeders' Cup.

“This is the fastest of the fast,” exclaimed Ward after the colt’s spectacular tour-de-force in the Shakertown Stakes (G2) at Keeneland in April. Ward has long maintained that Golden Pal is the best he has ever trained.

Golden Pal’s sire Uncle Mo and broodmare sire Midshipman were both Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners on the main track while his dam Lady Shipman won 13 times, earned over $900,000 and set a course record of 1:00.46 for Saratoga’s 5½-furlong turf course.

“We’ve followed Golden Pal’s career closely and he’s a very welcome addition to our roster,” Ashford’s Dermot Ryan said in a news release. “He has speed to burn and like many of those by Uncle Mo, he’s a very good-looking horse. I don’t think any horse has come close to beating him here in the U.S. since he broke his maiden in the Skidmore Stakes and Uncle Mo has made a very good start as a sire of sires so it’s all good news!”