Zulu Alpha Heads Field of 10 for Pan American
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Zulu Alpha after winning the MacDiarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Trainer Mike Maker had plans for Michael Hui's Zulu Alpha, but current world events have led the Street Cry gelding down a different path.
Instead of taking on the Old Forester Stakes (G1T) on the Churchill Downs undercard on the first Saturday in May, with that race rescheduled for September, Zulu Alpha will instead contest the $200,000 Kitten's Joy Pan American Stakes (G2T) March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
"He continues to hold his form. I couldn't be happier with him," Maker said. "Not that I was planning on running him this weekend, but I'm looking forward to it."
The 1 1/2-mile Pan American is one of six stakes on the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) undercard at Gulfstream.
Zulu Alpha launched his 2020 season with a two-length victory in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Presented by Runhappy (G1T) over globe-trotting Magic Wand, then added a second consecutive score Feb. 29 in the MacDiarmida (G2T) at Gulfstream.
In the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus, the 8-year-old gelding trailed all but two horses before a patient rail-skimming trip allowed him to take the lead in the stretch and go on to win. He had the exact opposite trip in the 1 3/8-mile MacDiarmida, making a sweeping five-wide move before getting up to win by a length.
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who returns to ride from post 9 in the 10-horse field at co-topweight of 124 pounds, also rode Zulu Alpha in his first two starts of the year.
"It's just the way the races shaped up. The bottom line is, the horse likes to win," Maker said. "The last time he didn't get away good and had a wide trip, but he was able to get the job done. We're looking for another big performance this Saturday."
Zulu Alpha has a record of 11-4-5 from 32 starts and earnings of more than $2 million.
"I feel blessed. How often does an individual like me get this kind of horse with this kind of success and compete at this level?" Hui said. "You just don't see it."
Maker has two others entered in graded stakes-placed Bemma's Boy, a 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding he claimed for $30,000 last May, and last out allowance optional claiming winner Go Poke the Bear, a 4-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding who is making his stakes debut Saturday. Maker also claimed Go Pike the Bear for $50,000 last fall.
The trio will take on co-highweight Spooky Channel from Brian Lynch's barn. The 5-year-old English Channel gelding won his season debut in the Jan. 25 W.L. McKnight (G3T), but placed fifth in the Mac Diarmida. Last year Spooky Channel won five straight races before placing sixth in the Mystic Lake Mile at Canterbury Park and following that effort up with an off-the-board finish in the Arlington Handicap (G3T) in his graded stakes debut.
Focus Group, last year's Pan American winner, also returns for trainer Christophe Clement, but the son of Kitten's Joy has not won since that effort, though he has raced at the top level in three of his last five starts.
Calumet Farm homebred Channel Cat has not raced since the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf in which he placed 10th. Last year the 5-year-old son of English Channel raced primarily at the top level but his only win came in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) in July at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, he will be joined in the gate by his flashy chestnut stablemate Current, who has not performed to expectations since winning the 2018 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland and then finishing a disappointing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).
He finished third in a March 6 allowance optional claiming test at Tampa Bay in his most recent effort, his first start since September.
Another contender in Saturday's test is Anne Scott's Galleon Mast, who has only finished off the board in six of his 34 starts, however the Pan American will be his first start beyond 1 1/8 miles.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 28, 2020, Race 12Entries: Kitten's Joy Pan American S. (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
Channel Cat (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Todd A. Pletcher
-
2
Bemma's Boy (KY)
Florent Geroux
118
Michael J. Maker
-
3
Spooky Channel (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
124
Brian A. Lynch
-
4
Current (KY)
Javier Castellano
118
Todd A. Pletcher
-
5
Go Poke the Bear (KY)
Paco Lopez
118
Michael J. Maker
-
6
Galleon Mast (FL)
Joe Bravo
120
David Fawkes
-
7
Prince of Arabia (KY)
Luca Panici
118
Patrick L. Biancone
-
8
Manicomio (KY)
Miguel Angel Vasquez
118
Agustin C. Bezara
-
9
Zulu Alpha (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
124
Michael J. Maker
-
10
Focus Group (KY)
Luis Saez
120
Christophe Clement
-
