Zulu Kingdom and Salamis Square Off in Poker Stakes

Chad Brown brings serious firepower to Saratoga Race Course's $300,000 Poker Stakes (G3T) June 7, sending out the grade 1-winning duo of Zulu Kingdom  and Salamis .

Zulu Kingdom is a multiple graded stakes winner over the Saratoga turf course, and enters Sunday's race well rested off a win in the April 10 Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, where he bested recent Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) winner Rhetorical . 

"I missed a little time with him with a quarter crack, but he's come back and worked two weeks in a row," Brown said. "He's a super talented horse." 

The millionaire son of Ten Sovereigns  has won seven of his nine career starts. Flavien Prat will be in the irons. 

Juddmonte's homebred Salamis will make his first start of the year after concluding 2025 with a win in the Hollywood Derby (G1T). 

"It's his first start of the year, and a mile might be a touch short for him, but he's got a good turn of foot, and from 3 to 4, this horse is doing what you want him to do," Brown said. "He's filled out a bit, and he was always a talented horse, but had a little maturing to do physically. I like what I see." 

Tranquility Lake Farms' Capitol Hill  looks to be one of the main threats in the 1-mile race. The Bill Mott trainee finished second behind Zulu Kingdom and Salamis in 2025—in the Manila Stakes (G3T) and the Gio Ponti Stakes, respectively.

Mott also enters Pin Oak Stud's Pass the Hat , who won an allowance optional claiming race at Aqueduct April 18.