Uncle Mo’s Golden Pal Wins G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint
Golden Pal (2c Uncle Mo x Lady Shipman, by Midshipman) gave Uncle Mo a second Breeders’ Cup winner exactly 10 years after the stallion won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile when the 2-year-old won the Grade II Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Racing over 5 ½ furlongs on the Keeneland turf, Golden Pal broke like a shot and took the lead immediately. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. had to convince the colt to slow down a step as he tried to run away from the field and gave up the lead for a few strides before taking control for the final time.
Golden Pal had a sizable lead throughout the stretch with Ortiz just giving him a few reminders in the final furlong before letting him coast under the line by three quarters of a length.
“He’s a wonderful colt to train,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “I’ve had him since September of his yearling year right from the sale here. So just excited to take a horse like that and then just watch him emerge, every month that goes by, he’s like a young kid and you could tell he was an athlete. He’s just really a cool guy to be around.”
Racing for breeder Randall Lowe, Golden Pal has never been worse that second in his four career starts with a victory in the Skidmore Stakes last out after barely losing the Group II Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The second Juvenile Turf Sprint winner in as many years for Coolmore sires after American Pharaoh’s Four Wheel Drive won last year, Golden Pal is out of multiple stakes winner and Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Lady Shipman.
The colt’s 13-time winning dam is full-sister to multiple stakes placed Just Talkin’ and four other winners out of her five-time winning dam Sumthintotalkabt.
Uncle Mo has been on fire in 2020, siring 14 graded stakes winners this year alone with Golden Pal becoming the tip sire’s 39th career graded stakes winner and his second Breeders' Cup winner after Nyquist in 2015.