Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Mullikin has been taking big steps up the class ladder since April when he launched a three-racing winning streak that included his first graded stakes win. The 4-year-old son of Violence will now attempt another leap in the Aug. 24 $500,000 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Mullikin comes into the seven-furlong stakes as the 8-5 morning-line favorite off a 1 1/2-length win in the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2), which was run at the same distance July 6 during the Belmont at the Big A meet at Aqueduct Racetrack. In the Nerud, the colt earned a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 110.
"The time between races was the plan all along," said Brisset. "We like the seven weeks between races for him. He ran pretty fast on a hot day at Aqueduct when he won the Nerud. We gave him three weeks of galloping to give him a little bit of a refresher. Since then, he has been working very steadily."
Mullikin's most recent move was a half-mile bullet Aug. 17 in :47 2/5 over the Keeneland dirt. He posted a faster time than workmate and last-out Amsterdam Stakes (G2) winner World Record, who went in :47 3/5. Flavien Prat will ride Mullikin from post 6.
Chasing a second grade 1 score in the Forego is Three Chimneys Farm's homebred Gun Pilot , a 4-year-old son of the farm's leading sire Gun Runner , who ran third last out in the June 8 True North Stakes (G2). Prior to the True North, however, the colt won the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs May 4 by 2 1/2 lengths. Gun Pilot has three wins so far this year and never been worse than third.
Trainer Steve Asmussen won last year's Forego with Gunite and captured other previous runnings with Yaupon (2021) and Mitole (2019), who used the Forego as a steppingstone to a victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and would become the 2019 champion male sprinter.
Cristian Torres will be aboard Gun Pilot, as he has been for the colt's previous four starts. They will start along the rail.
Another seeking to grab the grade 1 brass ring is Baby Yoda, who has been consistently among the top performers at the highest level with a runner-up effort in the 2021 Malibu Stakes (G1), a fourth in the 2022 Forego, and fourth most recently in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1). Prior to the Vanderbilt, he romped by six lengths in the True North.
Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, and Jerold Zaro's gelded son of Prospective has been in the money five times out of nine starts at seven furlongs. He will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post 4.
Wathnan Racing's multiple graded-placed stakes winner Cagliostro has not run at less than a mile since an off-the-board racing debut in September 2022, but trainer Cherie DeVaux believes the 4-year-old colt by Upstart has shown enough at a mile to give the Forego a shot. He comes into the race off a one-length win in the one-mile Hanshin Stakes June 30 at Churchill Downs.
"He has shown a lot of speed and versatility. I think one mile is his best distance, but you have to find the best fit given the options," said DeVaux.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 24, 2024, Race 11Entries: Forego S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Gun Pilot (KY) Cristian A. Torres 124 Steven M. Asmussen 3/1 2 2Twisted Ride (PA) Kendrick Carmouche 118 Michael M. Moore 15/1 3 3Full Screen (ON) Dylan Davis 118 Mark E. Casse 20/1 4 4Baby Yoda (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 122 William I. Mott 8/1 5 5Run Classic (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Jose Francisco D'Angelo 5/1 6 6Mullikin (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Rodolphe Brisset 8/5 7 7Angkor (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Philip A. Bauer 12/1 8 8Cagliostro (FL) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Cherie DeVaux 9/2
