Grade 1 Winner Zulu Alpha Arrives at Old Friends

Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm Sept. 13 welcomed new retiree and grade 1 winner Zulu Alpha  to its Georgetown, Ky., facility. 

Owner Michael Hui and trainer Mike Maker announced the retirement of the 8-year-old son of Street Cry three days earlier, after the gelding was scratched from the Sept. 11 running of the Calumet Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs.

A successful claim by Hui in 2018, Zulu Alpha captured seven graded stakes, including the 2019 Calumet Turf Cup (then a grade 3) and last year's Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T) at Gulfstream Park and the TVG Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.

Zulu Alpha retires with 12 wins from 37 starts, for earnings of $2,269,084.

"Zulu came to us via the claim box, initially placed with John Oritz, then transferred to Mike Maker for a winter campaign in South Florida. The rest is history," said Hui. "He took us on the ride of a lifetime and reached a level of success we could only dream of. Seven graded wins later, he now will call Old Friends home. Thank you, Mike Maker and team, thank you, Old friends, and thank you, Zulu Alpha, we are forever in your debt."

"We are very excited to have Zulu Alpha with us," said Old Friends president Michael Blowen. "We are grateful to Michael Hui for allowing us to care for this great horse, and we know that he will be a fan favorite."