Zulu Alpha Prepares for Summer Return

Zulu Alpha, one of the nation's top turf horses, will resume training after Churchill Downs opens its barn areas next week. The son of Street Cry has not breezed since posting a runner-up finish in the March 28 Kitten's Joy Pan American Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park, after which he was given a break. 

The decision to freshen the six-time graded stakes winner was made after major stakes were canceled or postponed this spring due to COVID-19. The 7-year-old gelding kept an active schedule over the winter and early spring at Gulfstream, winning the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T) and the Feb. 29 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) before running a wide second in the Pan American.

"With the uncertainty, we decided to send him to the farm for a couple weeks, and a couple weeks turned into a month," trainer Mike Maker said.

Since being claimed by owner Michael Hui for $80,000 in September 2018, Zulu Alpha has made more than $1.8 million in 13 starts for his new owner. The last 12 of those races were for Maker following one start for John Ortiz, who trained him to win the Sycamore Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in October 2018. Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Zulu Alpha has lifetime earnings of more than $2 million in winning 11 of 33 races.

Maker speculated the gelding may return in the summer, saying "the United Nations might be a good comeback spot."

The United Nations Stakes (G1T) is a $300,000 race at 1 3/8 miles on grass at Monmouth Park. The track announced May 4 that the race would come this year on the undercard of the July 18 TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1). Zulu Alpha was second in the 2019 edition of the United Nations.

Like other Maker trainees based in Louisville, Zulu Alpha will be stabled at Churchill Downs Trackside, the track's off-site training enter.