Zulu Kingdom Looks to Keep Rolling in Manila

Zulu Kingdom (IRE), whose only defeat in six career starts came in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), looks like an odds-on favorite in the $200,000 Manila Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-olds July 4 at Saratoga Race Course. The Ten Sovereigns (IRE) ridgling won the May 3 American Turf Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs in his most recent start and arguably leads the 3-year-old turf division in the United States. Interestingly, trainer Chad Brown passed on the richer, slightly longer $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), at 1 1/8 miles, one race later on Friday's card. The 1 1/16-mile American Turf was Zulu Kingdom's third graded victory and fourth black-type stakes win. Brown trains the Irish-bred colt for Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss, and Michael J. Caruso. Zulu Kingdom won his June 4, 2024, debut for owner/trainer Andre Fabre in France at Saint-Cloud Race Course. Following a private purchase, he made his first U.S. start at Saratoga in last year's With Anticipation Stakes (G3T), which he won by a neck. Flavien Prat, who has ridden Zulu Kingdom four times, has the mount again in Friday's mile turf race. The field of 12 also includes Reagan's Wit, second by a neck behind Zulu Kingdom in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, and third-place Revolutionnaire (FR), who was beaten four lengths. Both those rivals were in receipt of 4 pounds from the winner that day. Zulu Kingdom was assigned 122 pounds for Friday's race, two more than Reagan's Wit and four more than the rest of the field. Reagan's Wit, an Authentic colt trained by Cherie DeVaux for West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo, and CJ Stables, since has won the James W. Murphy Stakes May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. DeVaux has a second entry in the Manila in the Tiz the Law colt Strate Cash, who was purchased privately following an impressive March 2 debut victory at Santa Anita Park. But the trainer reported Thursday that Strate Cash would scratch in favor of an allowance spot. Brown also has a second entry in Klaravich Stables' Uncatalyzed (GB), who broke his maiden nicely in his second start May 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Schuylerville Draws Six Earlier on the Friday program, carded as race 2, is the $150.000 Schuylerville Stakes, a six-furlong dirt race for 2-year-old fillies. The Schuylerville was downgraded from grade 3 to listed status in 2024. It drew a field of six, comprised of two winners, three one-start maidens, and a first-time starter. Arindel's Evolution, a Florida-bred filly by Brethren, finished second in her April 16 debut at Keeneland, then returned to win a maiden special weight by 2 3/4 lengths May 15 at Gulfstream Park. Evolution is trained by Carlos David and will break from the rail under new rider Luis Saez. The only other winner in the field is Debby Oxley's My Sweetheart, a homebred by third-crop sire Flameaway. My Sweetheart won her debut in a five-furlong maiden turf dash May 22 at Churchill. She dueled between horses early, opened up in the lane, and won by 1 1/2 lengths. She will be trying dirt for the first time Friday, but her debut already looks live, as second-place Clowning Around won by three lengths next out June 19 at Churchill Downs for owner/trainer Wesley Ward.