Off Quick Call win, Ward ponders overseas targets for Golden Pal

After returning victorious in Opening Day’s Grade 3 Quick Call, trainer Wesley Ward said Golden Pal will take his talents overseas for his next engagement.

A winner of his last three starts, Golden Pal was in command throughout the entire 5½-furlong journey for sophomores and was wrapped up by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the final sixteenth of a mile, garnering a career-best 95 Beyer for the three-length win.

Ward said he plans on shipping Golden Pal back to Keeneland in the next couple of days to prepare for a possible start in either the Nunthorpe (G1) on Aug. 20 at York in England or the Flying Five (G1) on Sept. 12 at the Curragh in Ireland.

“I was planning on going this morning, but he ran such a big effort I’ll keep him here for a couple of days,” Ward said. “Right now, when he’s this good and you want to try and make him a sire, you have to hook into a Group 1 somewhere.”

Ward said the Nunthorpe might be coming up a little sooner than ideal.

“It’s close together, but when you’re talking about going over to England and off a layoff, I like to give them some time so I’m not 100 percent certain he’ll go to the Nunthorpe,” Ward said. “I would say, looking at his energy and his workouts, that will determine whether it’s there or if he’ll run in Ireland. I’ve never run one in Ireland.”

Both the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five are contested at five furlongs, a half-furlong shorter than the Quick Call.

“He’s much better going five-eighths,” Ward said.

Golden Pal, owned by Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, was a dazzling 3½-length winner of the Skidmore at Saratoga last summer before capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. He arrived at the Quick Call off eight months rest.

Golden Pal’s next start will not be his first international endeavor. In his second outing, he was second beaten a neck in the Norfolk (G2) last June at Royal Ascot.

While Golden Pal takes his show on the road, Ten Broeck Farm’s five-time stakes winner Kimari will target the $200,000 Honorable Miss (G2) on July 28 at Saratoga.

The daughter of Munnings captured the Madison (G1) on April 3 at Keeneland last out, defeating graded-stakes winners Estilo Talentoso, Bell’s the One and Sconsin.

The 4-year-old bay filly, who has never finished worse than fourth in 10 career starts, seeks a second stakes victory at the Spa. She earned her first stakes triumph when taking the Bolton Landing in August 2019.