It was a passing parade of ex shuttle stallions as the two-day Breeders’ Cup carnival got underway at Keeneland.
It was an unfortunate trip from France for world-class jockey Christophe Soumillon who was ruled out of the meet after testing positive to COVID-19.
Trainer Wesley Ward was quick out of the gates with his Uncle Mo colt Golden Pal in the GrII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
With Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the saddle, Golden Pal finished three-quarters of a length ahead of a fast-finishing Cowan (Kantharos), who was a length in front of European challenger Ubettabelieveit (Kodiac).
The Randall Lowe homebred advances his record to two wins and two seconds from four starts.
Golden Pal is the only foal to date out of the multiple stakes-winner Lady Shipman (Midshipman), who won 13 of her 20 starts and was second in the 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Lady Shipman was covered by Spendthrift farm shuttler Omaha Beach earlier this year.
The Gr1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf went to the Mike Maker-trained Fire at Will, a son of Declaration Of War.
Given a positive ride by Ricardo Santana Jr, Fire at Will defeated the Aidan O’Brien-trained Battleground (War Front) by three lengths with a neck further back to Outadore (Outwork).
A $97,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Fire at Will has won three of four starts.
He is the only runner to date out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Flirt.
Fire At Will is a three-quarter brother to Gr1 winner Decorated Invader (Declaration of War).
The $2 million Gr1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was won by the Robert Reid-trained Vequist a daughter of Darley Stud’s Nyquist (by Uncle Mo).
Ridden just off the speed by Joel Rosario, Vequist defeated Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) by two lengths with a nose back to Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo).
With a record of two wins and two seconds from four starts, Vequist is the best of three winners from as many runners out of the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore who was runner-up in the GrII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
Vero Amore has a yearling filly by Astern, a filly foal by Daredevil and was covered by Accelerate.
The Brad Cox-trained Lope De Vega filly Aunt Pearl was dominant in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Ridden by Florent Geroux, the 280,000gns tattersalls October yearling kept her record at a perfect three for three with a two and a half length romp over Mother Earth (Zoffany) with a further neck back to Miss Amulet (Sir Prancealot) in third.
Bred by Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud, Aunt Pearl is the best of two winners from four to race out of the stakes-placed Hurricane Run mare Matauri Pearl who is a sister to GrIII winner and Gr1-placed Wekeela.
Matauri Pearl’s dam Moonrise (Grand lodge) is out of a sister to Monsun.
