Maker's Mark Mile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Elkhorn Winner Zulu Alpha Will Defend His Title In Kentucky Downs’ Turf Cup

Zulu Alpha continues to make a case as America's best turf horse at 1 1/2 miles, his three wins in four starts including the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf. Trainer Mike Maker brought the gelding into Sunday's G2 Elkhorn at Keeneland off a 3 1/2-month layoff. After getting squeezed at the start, Zulu Alpha found himself well off the slow pace set by Postulation but closed strongly under Tyler Gaffalione to win by three-quarters of a length.

His next start will be defense of his 2019 victory in the Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs, followed by the Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, a race in which Zulu Alpha finished fourth last year at Santa Anita.

“He's had his vacation and Mike's handled him phenomenally as far as his development and progression,” said owner Michael Hui. “This was the first step back, and he passed.”

The owner said not to forget Parlor, an $80,000 claim in March who finished second in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile.

“You were about two inches from a Grade 1,” Hui said. “That was a tremendous high watching Parlor take the lead in the stretch…. It was like 'no, no, no!' And Parlor got the perfect bob and still didn't get it. But that bodes well for Kentucky Downs, because his next start will be the Tourist Mile.”

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Weather Dependent: War Of Will, Got Stormy May Aim For Fourstardave

Trainer Mark Casse has the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga Race Course in mind for Gary Barber's War of Will and defending winner Got Stormy, but only one of the two horses will race in the one-mile turf event.

War of Will, who won last year's Grade 1 Preakness, became a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf when taking the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland on Friday. Whether or not the 4-year-old son of War Front races in the one-mile event at the Spa depends on the turf conditions as Casse feels that a fast turf would be to the benefit of stablemate Got Stormy, who is winless in four starts this season.

“The plan is the aim him and Got Stormy to the Fourstardave and the [Grade 1, $1 million] Woodbine Mile [on September 19]. It all depends on the conditions of the turf,” Casse said. “If we get a fast turf for Got Stormy then we'll try her in the Fourstardave and War of Will in the Woodbine Mile. If it turns out that it comes up soft, then he would go to the Fourstardave. A lot of people have written off Got Stormy and I just think she needs a firm turf.”

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War Of Will Adds To Grade 1 Résumé With Maker’s Mark Mile Victory On Keeneland Turf

Gary Barber's War of Will eased past longshot Parlor in the final yards to win the 32nd running of the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) for 4-year-olds and up by a nose Friday afternoon at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

With Tyler Gaffalione aboard, War of Will raced in the clear after breaking from post 10 and tracked the pace set by High Crime and Parlor, who raced through fractions of :23.17 and :46.91.

Approaching the stretch, Parlor put away High Crime, completing six furlongs in 1:11.09. Under Florent Geroux, Parlor opened a daylight advantage but was unable to hold off the final surge from War of Will and Gaffalione.

“Getting the last race out of the way (May 25 Shoemaker Mile-G1 at Santa Anita on the turf) got the nerves out,” said Gaffalione. “Taking the blinkers off helped him relax beautifully going around there. And when I called on him he finished up nicely.”

Trained by Mark Casse, War of Will covered the mile on a firm turf course in 1:34.55. It is the first Maker's Mark victory for Casse and Gaffalione.

“We're so excited,” said Casse, who was not at Keeneland, where War of Will was saddled by assistant trainer David Carroll. “It's great for everybody. We're just so excited.

“Tyler gave him a tremendous ride,” Casse added. “I wasn't sure (at the finish if he won). I wasn't sure until they put (his number) up. (My wife) Tina and I were just jumping up and down. It's means so much to the horse. We love him so much. And it means so much for a stallion prospect and everything (to be a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf). Gary Barber and I will have to talk about (if he goes back to dirt or remains on turf). But everyone knows how much we love him, and it's so wonderful.”

The victory was worth $180,000 and increased War of Will's earnings to $1,796,069 with a record of 16-5-1-2 that includes a Grade 1 dirt victory in last year's Preakness.

A Keeneland sale graduate, War of Will is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of War Front out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity (IRE).

War of Will returned $13.80, $6.80 and $3.60. Parlor paid $20.40 and $7 and finished a neck in front of favored Raging Bull (FR), who paid $2.40 to show under Joel Rosario.

It was another half-length back to Without Parole (GB), who was followed in order by Emmaus (IRE), English Bee, Hembree, High Crime, Everfast and Next Shares.

“That was a tough one to lose,” said Mike Maker, Parlor's trainer. “He's had a tough trip last couple of times and I thought he had a good chance today. He ran his race. I sure thought he was going to hang on. He got out of the gate well and handled the turf well. No excuse. He was just second best.”

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War of Will Back to Winning Ways in Maker’s Mark

Looking for his first trip to the winner’s circle since annexing the GI Preakness S. some 14 months ago, Gary Barber’s War of Will (War Front) did it toughest, but called on all his class and determination to scratch out a short-head success in the GI Maker’s Mark Mile as the Keeneland summer meeting reached its mid-point Friday.

Drawn widest in the field of 10, the handsome blaze-faced bay raced three off the fence leaving the stretch for the first time and punched the breeze from up close as High Crime (Violence) set sensible fractions of :23.19 and :46.91 in advance of fellow longshot Parlor (Lonhro {Aus}). High Crime carried a tenuous advantage into the final two furlongs, but Parlor raced under a long Florent Geroux hold as they reached the entrance to the straight and struck to the front an eighth of a mile from the line. Parlor led grimly into the final 50 yards and was looking for the line, but War of Will was kept to his task by Preakness-winning rider Tyler Gaffalione and got home half a head to the good. Favored Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sat a midfield trip and hit the line with good energy to be third, just in advance of his fast-finishing stablemate Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

War of Will failed to regain the form that saw him score at Old Hilltop in four subsequent appearances last season, his best effort coming when a close third to upstart Math Wizard (Algorithms) in the GI Pennsylvania Derby in September. Ninth after setting the pace in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, he resumed in the GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita May 25, crossing the line fifth before being demoted to sixth behind Raging Bull.

“Coming into this race, if you’d asked me two weeks ago, I was a little bit nervous,” admitted David Carroll, assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “I didn’t think he was training quite as sharp as he could. But his last work was like, ‘OK he’s back.’ I felt a lot more confident. We’re happy to see him back on turf; he’s bred for it. Felt like today with the pace scenario he’d be laying close, and what a ride for Tyler. It was an unbelievable race.”

Pedigree Notes:

War of Will is the fourth of his tremendously successful sire’s offspring to win the Maker’s Mark Mile in the last nine years (Data Link–2012; Gary Barber’s Jack Milton–2015; American Patriot–2017) and was led out unsold at Keeneland September in 2017 before changing hands post-RNA. He fetched €250,000 from Justin Casse at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale the following spring.

War of Will is one of 21 top-level scorers for War Front, of which fully six are out of mares by Sadler’s Wells (3) or his prodigious son Galileo (Ire) (3). The stakes-winning Visions of Clarity is a half-sister to Spinning World (Nureyev), who carried the Flaxman silks and Cash Asmussen to a two-length victory in the 1997 GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Hollywood Park. Visions of Clarity is also a half-sister to Rangoon Ruby (Kingmambo), the dam of 2007 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe third Sagara (Sadler’s Wells). War of Will’s third dam includes Eclipse Award-winning sprinter and GI Met Mile hero Aldebaran (Mr. Prospector); GISW Good Journey (Nureyev); and Sea of Showers (Seattle Slew), who won the 2003 Jenny Wiley S. when it was contested as a Grade III.

War of Will has an unraced 3-year-old half-brother named Visionit (Tapit) and a yearling half-brother by American Pharoah. Visions of Clarity was bred back to War Front during the most recent breeding season.

Friday, Keeneland
MAKER’S MARK MILE S.-GI, $300,000, Keeneland, 7-10, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.55, fm.
1–WAR OF WILL, 118, c, 4, by War Front
1st Dam: Visions of Clarity (Ire) (SW-Fr), by Sadler’s Wells
2nd Dam: Imperfect Circle, by Riverman
3rd Dam: Aviance (Ire), by Northfields
($175,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; €250,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY). O-Gary Barber; B-Flaxman Holdings Limited (KY); T-Mark E Casse; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-1-2, $1,796,069. *1/2 to Pathfork (Distorted Humor), Hwt. 2yo Colt & G1SW-Ire, $237,871; and to Tacticus (A.P. Indy), MSW, $197,571. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Parlor, 118, g, 6, Lonhro (Aus)–My McIntosh, by Pulpit. ($60,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Michael M Hui, Hooties Racing LLC & WSS Racing LLC; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Michael J Maker. $60,000.
3–Raging Bull (Fr), 123, h, 5, Dark Angel (Ire)–Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley. (€90,000 Ylg ’16 GOFORB). O-Peter M Brant; B-Dayton Investments Limited (FR); T-Chad C Brown. $30,000.
Margins: NO, NK, HF. Odds: 5.90, 24.50, 1.20.
Also Ran: Without Parole (GB), Emmaus (Ire), English Bee, Hembree, High Crime, Everfast, Next Shares. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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