By Stefanie Grimm
One of two runners in the field for trainer Chad Brown, it was 4-5 favorite Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) who stayed perfect and punched his ticket into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with a win in Saturday's GII Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct.
Shipped to the United States after breaking his maiden at Saint-Cloud and selling privately to the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss & Michael Caruso in early June, he joined up with Brown in time to impress with a narrow win in the GIII With Anticipation Stakes in his North American debut at Saratoga going this same 1 1/16-mile distance Aug. 29.
Already experienced over the off turf as his maiden victory came over soft ground, Zulu Kingdom took no issue with Aqueduct's yielding course and broke with the top flight under Joel Rosario who quickly took back and cleared down to the rail into the clubhouse turn. A clear fourth through the opening quarter, the favorite was joined on the outside by stablemate Early Adopter (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and soon was surrounded as the field bunched up down the backstretch. Stuck behind horses past the half mile, Zulu Kingdom was boxed in along the rail and has to muscle his way out past the quarter pole to make a delayed rally up the grandstand side. While things got tight to his inside for both Early Adopter and Smooth Breeze (More Than Ready) who had each moved with the leaders, the favorite was clear and looked home free until a charging Noble Confessor (Uncle Mo) made things tight in the final jumps but ultimately had to settle for second in a photo finish.
“He ran great even though he got steadied on the backside,” said Brown. “Joel [Rosario] did the right thing covering him up and bided his time. It got a little tight in there. I was happy to see him handle the soft ground – I wasn't sure. It looks like a nice setup for the Breeders' Cup. He's always struck me as a horse that might be even better at a mile with more pace. He's been able to get the job done the last two starts with two good rides and he keeps moving forward. I think we'll see the best of him at a flat mile.”
Rosario added: “He went on. It looked like he was just playing in there, and yeah, just a good effort from him.”
Pedigree Note:
From the second crop to race by Ten Sovereigns, Zulu Kingdom is a half to French stakes winner Zulu Warrior (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). The first dam, who is a full-sister to GSW Zanzibari, now has two winners who are both stakes horses. There is plenty of French black type under MGSW second dam Zinziberine with five of her eight foals winning or placing at the stakes level. Zulu Kingdom has a yearling half-brother by Magna Grecia (Ire) who is their dam's last reported foal.
Saturday, Belmont at the Big A
PILGRIM S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 9-28, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:48.67, yl.
1–ZULU KINGDOM (IRE), 122, c, 2, by Ten Sovereigns (Ire)
1st Dam: Zindziswa, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Zinziberine, by Zieten
3rd Dam: Amenixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, William Strauss & Michael J Caruso; B-Ecurie Peregrine SAS (IRE); T-Chad C Brown; J-Joel Rosario. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $222,607. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Noble Confessor, 118, c, 2, Quality Road–Sweeter Than Wine, by Noble Mission (GB). 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. O/B-St Elias Stables LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Early Adopter (GB), 120, c, 2, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Silk Sari (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. (170,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables Inc; B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C Brown. $24,000.
Margins: NK, 4HF, HD. Odds: 0.85, 6.80, 5.30.
Also Ran: Smooth Breeze, Flying Mohawk, Without Caution, Concord Green, Fully Authorized. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
ZULU KINGDOM, you're in! The 2YO opens up down the stretch for the win in the @BreedersCup Pilgrim Stakes (G2) with @JRosarioJockey up for Chad Brown! pic.twitter.com/lFBHZGlhdZ
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) September 28, 2024
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