Zulu Alpha Preps for Breeders' Cup in Kentucky Turf Cup

Zulu Alpha has been the alpha male in the North American turf marathon ranks for much of this year, winning three of four starts and $793,440, including the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T). 

Now as the calendar shifts from summer to fall, he looks to retain his perch at the top of the division when he defends his title in the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs. The 7-5 morning-line favorite in an overflow field, he is one of two past winners in Saturday’s race, the other being 2018 champ and 9-2 second choice Arklow.

Beyond the seven-figure purse, there is even more at stake. The race is an unofficial prep for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland Nov. 7. 

According to trainer Mike Maker, 7-year-old Zulu Alpha is as sharp as he was last year when he won the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup during a season in which he later went to Santa Anita Park and finished fourth in the Longines Turf.

“Same old 'Zulu.' He’s doing well and looks fabulous,” said Maker, the winningest trainer in Kentucky Downs history. “I have no reason to suspect that he won’t come out there and perform his best like he normally does.”

The only difference relative to last year is his preparation. Maker hasn’t taken Zulu Alpha on the road much this year, racing him through the winter at Gulfstream Park, where he was training, and otherwise running in Kentucky, close to his base at Churchill Downs Trackside.

The scheduling was influenced by altered stakes programs amid COVID-19, subpar efforts after traveling to New York last year, and his trainer's view that the Street Cry gelding is at his best when racing following layoffs. So this summer he decided not to squeeze another race into him after Zulu Alpha won the TVG Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) July 12 at Keeneland over longshot Postulation, whom he again faces Saturday.

Maker intends to not race Zulu Alpha in the two months between Saturday’s race and the Breeder’s Cup.

“He’s run hard and (is) getting a little long in the tooth,” he said. “He ran so well in the Pegasus after a freshening—that played into it as well.”

Michael Hui owns Zulu Alpha, who has banked nearly $2 million since Hui claimed him for $80,000 at Churchill Downs in September 2018. His $582,800 payday in winning this race last year was his biggest check over that 15-race stretch.

Tyler Gaffalione, aboard for all four of Zulu Alpha's races in 2020, returns as the gelding bids to become just the third repeat winner of the Kentucky Turf Cup. The Jonathan Sheppard-trained Rochester (2002-03) and the Maker-trained Da Big Hoss  (2015-16) have done it.

Maker has won four of the past five runnings, including with Oscar Nominated in 2017.

Maker also starts Grand Journey for owners Paradise Farms and David Staudacher. A $62,500 claim two starts ago, the Giant's Causeway gelding finished fourth in the July 8 Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial Stakes at Indiana Grand after a troubled race in his first start for his new connections.

“He went to his knees in Indiana and has really been training up a storm,” Maker said. “Figured (I would) give him a shot and see if he can go the mile and a half.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.

Arklow, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Zulu Alpha in this race last year, seeks his first victory since winning the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park in October. Among those he defeated in the Joe Hirsch was Zulu Alpha, who ran sixth. Since then, Arklow has gone unplaced in four of five starts, leading trainer Brad Cox to equip him with blinkers for the first time.

“Kind of a little bit late in life to be making such an equipment change,” Cox said. “But I’ve been training him in them, and I feel like I’m seeing a different horse. I’m very positive it will help him.”

Arklow finished fourth as the favorite in the United Nations Stakes (G1T) July 18 at Monmouth Park in his most recent start, coming just six days after he ran sixth in the Elkhorn.

“I’ll take the blame for running him back at Monmouth on six days. That was kind of my idea that didn’t work out very well,” Cox said.

A 6-year-old son of Arch owned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger, and Peter Coneway, Arklow won the 2018 Kentucky Turf Cup by a half-length, defeating Maker trainees Bigger Picture and Soglio.

Florent Geroux, who teamed with Cox to win last week’s Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Shedaresthedevil, is reunited with Arklow.

Post time for the Kentucky Turf Cup is 5:04 p.m. CT. The race is the fourth of five stakes that close the 11-race card.

Entries: Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 12, 2020, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:04 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Changi (LA)	Tyler Baze	122	Jeanne Marie Dolan	50/1
2	2Red Knight (NY)	Luis Saez	122	William I. Mott	12/1
3	3Grand Journey (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Michael J. Maker	15/1
4	4Eons (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Arnaud Delacour	20/1
5	5Arklow (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	9/2
6	6Postulation (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Michael R. Matz	8/1
7	7He's No Lemon (KY)	Javier Castellano	124	H. Graham Motion	10/1
8	8Bundibunan (KY)	James Graham	122	Ignacio Correas, IV	30/1
9	9American Tattoo (ARG)	Adam Beschizza	122	Jack Sisterson	30/1
10	10Zulu Alpha (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Michael J. Maker	7/5
11	11Standard Deviation (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	H. Graham Motion	12/1
12	12Hierarchy (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	124	Joe Sharp	10/1
13	13Celerity (KY)	Gabriel Saez	122	Waylon Cundiff	50/1
14	14Tintoretto (GER)	Joseph Talamo	122	Michael W. McCarthy	30/1
15	15Perfect Tapatino (FR)	Adam Beschizza	122	Roger L. Attfield	50/1
16	16Surprise Twist (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Arnaud Delacour	30/1