The two-1 favourite Zulu Kingdom engaged in an exhilarating stretch duel with pacesetter Mi Bago , finally catching him on the wire for a dead-heat win within the 1-mile Kelso Stakes (G3T) July 5 at Saratoga Race Course.
Each horses broke sharply with Mi Bago going out for the early lead underneath Jose Ortiz to set cheap fractions of :24.19 and :48.51 by means of the opening half mile. Longshot Itsallcomintogetha pressed the tempo with Zulu Kingdom underneath a affected person maintain by jockey Flavien Prat. Mi Bago, b, 4/g
Vekoma — Wabanaki, by Indian Charlie
Proprietor: Barber, Gary
Breeder: Highclere, Inc. (NY)
Coach: Mark E. Casse
Jockey: Jose L. Ortiz
Data offered by Equibase at time of entry.
Pedigree Notes
Vekoma stands at Spendthrift Farm.
Sale Historical past
FTNAUG2023 • ($90,000 RNA) • Consignor: Taylor Made Gross sales Company.
FTKFEB2023 • $62,000 • Consignor: Stuart Morris, for Highclere • Purchaser: Carlos Munoz.
Zulu Kingdom (IRE), b, 4/r
Ten Sovereigns (IRE) — Zindziswa, by Good Strike
Proprietor: Madaket Stables, LLC, Dubb, Michael, Strauss, William and Caruso, Michael J.
Breeder: ECURIE PEREGRINE SAS (IRE)
Coach: Chad C. Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Data offered by Equibase at time of entry.
Pedigree Notes
Ten Sovereigns (IRE) stands at Jockey Membership of Turkey Stud Farms.
Twenty Six Black, b, 6/g
Conflict Dancer — Brazo de Oro, by First Dude
Proprietor: Cimbora, Jr., Roger
Breeder: Roger Cimbora Jr. (NY)
Coach: Horacio De Paz
Jockey: Manuel Franco
Data offered by Equibase at time of entry.
Pedigree Notes
Conflict Dancer stands at Mill Creek Farm.
“I believed going into the primary flip we had been going to be having a good tempo after which they slowed it down,” Prat mentioned.
Coming into the stretch, Poker Stakes (G3T) winner Move the Hat began to make his transfer underneath John Velazquez, placing his head in entrance of Zulu Kingdom on the within. Prat angled Zulu Kingdom to the surface with loads of horse beneath him to run down 9-1 shot Mi Bago within the closing phases and hit the wire in tandem.
“I wasn’t anticipating to go that simple (on the lead). He was touring very effectively the primary half, and once I requested him to go, he exploded,” Ortiz mentioned. “Then the opposite horse (Zulu Kingdom) got here (operating). They each deserve it.”
The ultimate time for the 1-mile race was 1:34.08. Mi Bago paid $8.40 to win and Zulu Kingdom paid $3.66. Move the Hat was two lengths again in third.
“They posted the winner because the ‘1’ (Zulu Kingdom), after which they put up the useless warmth. Usually, it is the fun of victory to the agony of defeat. I went from the agony of defeat to the fun of victory,” mentioned Mark Casse, coach of Mi Bago.
The Kelso marked the primary graded stakes win for Mi Bago, a gelded son of Spendthrift Farm stallion Vekoma owned by Gary Barber.
“He is an overachiever. You would like all horses had been as robust as he’s,” Casse mentioned.
Zulu Kingdom, who gained the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland in April, entered the race off a disappointing third-place end within the Poker Stakes final month for coach Chad Brown.
“He confirmed up at the moment,” Prat mentioned. “We did not count on him to run that means final time, nevertheless it’s good he confirmed his potential at the moment. He is in all probability higher with a goal, however he is very naturally quick. He can run good races on the lead. When there isn’t any tempo, he can use that as a bonus. He gained a grade 1 on the lead, however I like him with a goal as effectively.”
The Kelso was Prat’s third victory of the day.
Michael Dubb, co-owner of Zulu Kingdom, mentioned a begin within the Aug. 8 Fourstardave Stakes (G1T) was a risk. The winner of the Fourstardave earns an computerized berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) held this yr at Keeneland.
“I am going to go away that as much as Chad, however I feel he would have that on his thoughts,” Dubb mentioned.
Video: Kelso S. (G3T)
Twenty Six Black Takes Harvey PACK Stakes
New York-bred Twenty Six Black earned the third stakes win of his profession Sunday, prevailing in the $200,000 Harvey Pack Stakes. The 6-year-old Conflict Dancer gelding rallied huge coming into the stretch and drew away from his rivals to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
Educated by Horacio De Paz, owned and bred by Roger Cimbora Jr., and ridden by Manuel Franco, Twenty Six Black completed the 5 1/2-furlong turf race in a closing time of 1:00.49. He paid $5.30 to win.
Possiblemente was second with Coppola in third. Chasing Liberty and We’re in Hassle completed in a useless warmth for fourth.
De Paz mentioned the Aug. 9 Troy Stakes (G2T) would seemingly be the gelding’s subsequent begin.
Video: Harvey Pack S. (BT)
