Zulu Kingdom and Mi Bago, Inseparable in a Kelso Stakes for the Ages
- Turf Diario
- hace 2 horas
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In a tremendous race, they dead-heated for first place at Saratoga in the traditional event honoring the legendary champion
SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— It took several long minutes and multiple agonizing looks at the photo-finish mirror to separate a winner in the Kelso Stakes (G3), but in the end, the effort proved entirely futile. Ultimately, Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) and Mi Bago (Vekoma) were declared inseparable in a spectacular dead-heat over the inner turf mile at Saratoga, delivering one of the most thrilling finishes of the current meeting.
The race served as a captivating clash of contrasting tactical styles. Mi Bago, carrying the prominent silks of Gary Barber for trainer Mark Casse, cleared early under jockey José Ortiz to dictate terms through leisurely opening fractions of 24.19, 48.51, and 1:12.13. Meanwhile, the post-time favorite Zulu Kingdom, a dual Grade 1 winner conditioned by Chad Brown, enjoyed an economic, ground-saving trip along the rail under Flavien Prat, patiently biding his time to unleash his signature late kick.
When the field turned into the decisive upright stretch, Prat engineered a textbook split between rivals, and the son of Ten Sovereigns began picking up ground stride by stride. However, Mi Bago displayed immense bravery the moment he felt the pressure, digged in deep, and the duo hit the wire in perfect alignment. The agonizingly prolonged photographic review appropriately resulted in a fair shared victory. The final time for the turf mile was stopped in 1:34.08, with Pass the Hat (Collected) checking in two lengths back in third.
"At first, they posted the number one as the lone winner, and then they changed the result to a dead-heat. I went from the agony of defeat to the joy of victory in a matter of seconds," Casse laughed afterwards. "I kept saying that I would happily settle for half the purse, I’m not greedy."
Ortiz highlighted how comfortably his mount absolute controlled the pace: "I didn’t expect to inherit such an easy lead. He traveled completely relaxed through the first half, and when I gave him his cue, he offered an explosive response."
On the favorite's side, Prat conceded that the lack of early foot ultimately played into the hands of the frontrunner: "I anticipated a much stronger, contested pace. It turned into a slow race early on, and it came down to a pure sprint home. I thought my horse had just nodded his head in front at the wire, but I knew it was incredibly close."
For Mi Bago, a New York-bred son of Vekoma produced by Highclere Inc., the dead-heat performance marked his elusive first graded stakes breakthrough, expanding his overall record to an admirable eight victories from 18 career starts. "He is a horse that constantly gives you more than you ask for. I wish they were all as tough and honest as him," Casse summarized.
Concurrently, Zulu Kingdom kept his elite reputation entirely intact by adding another high-profile success to a stellar lifetime record that now boasts eight wins from 11 outings. He kicked off his current campaign with a brilliant score in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland before dropping a narrow decision in the Poker Stakes (G3) over this very same distance.
Michael Dubb, co-owner of the favorite, offered high praise for both the runner-up and the thrilling outcome: "We figured there would be more speed signed up and that Mi Bago wouldn't get such a lonely lead. Flavien made the right tactical decision by letting the leader walk and timing a single, sustained run. That's racing. Congratulations to Mark Casse and Gary Barber; they are first-class people, and I couldn't be happier to share this victory with them."
All signs point toward a spectacular rematch on August 8 in the Fourstardave Stakes (G1) right back here at Saratoga, a prestigious "Win and You're In" fixture that guarantees a starting gate in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) this October at Keeneland. If the Kelso was any indication of what is to come, the next chapter promises to be an unmissable spectacle.
