Zulu Alpha Stays Perfect in 2019 With Mac Diarmida Win
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Zulu Alpha wins the Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Michael M. Hui's Zulu Alpha earned his second consecutive graded stakes score on the turf in the $200,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) March 2 at Gulfstream Park.
After starting the year on a high note with a half-length win in the Jan. 26 W.L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream, the Mike Maker trainee emerged as the even-money favorite Saturday and lived up to the promise.
Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Zulu Alpha settled in midpack from the break in the 11-horse field. On the rail, Village King established a half-length lead from the break and led through fractions of :24.93 and :51.05 for the first half-mile.
Close on the leaders' heels, grade 1-winning Channel Maker—who was making his first start since the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T)—pressed Village King and was running just a head behind the leader as they hit the mile in 1:41.89.
Three wide through the second and third turns, Zulu Alpha moved up to run on even terms with Village King, the dueling pair flanking Channel Maker briefly before pulling ahead to the wire.
Five wide on the outside as they entered the stretch, a rallying Melmich moved up to issue a late challenge, followed closely by a fast-moving Kulin Rock on the rail.
With inches separating the frontrunners and only yards to run, Zulu Alpha moved out widest in deep stretch and kicked away to cross the finish three-quarters of a length in front.
Only a neck margin separated Melmich in second from Kulin Rock in third. Channel Maker was a neck back in fourth and a neck ahead of Village King in fifth. Final time for the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf was 2:16.39.
"I got a perfect trip," Ortiz said. "I broke probably a step slow. He's the kind of horse that you don't want to fight too much with him—he gets a little upset. So when we passed the first turn, I put him in the clear and he started to go little by little, and when I asked him to go at the three eighths pole, he was moving really good. I had plenty of horse, and he really took off today."
The Mac Diarmida marked the third graded stakes win for Zulu Alpha. Aside from his score in the W.L. McKnight, the Street Cry gelding took the Sycamore Stakes (G3T) Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
"We came in with a lot of confidence," said Maker. "Irad said he didn't get away too good and was back a little further than we expected, but it worked out well in the end. The plan all along has been to run in this race and then wait for Keeneland. He's a very professional horse, easy to train, and very classy."
Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm out of the A.P. Indy mare Zori, the 6-year-old gelding improved to 8-3-4 from 23 starts, with $470,374 in earnings.