Graded stakes winners Al Khali and Air Support head an interesting mix of eight older turf-meant runners in Thursday’s $90,000 Milesius overnight stakes at Belmont Park. Scheduled for 1 1/4 miles on the inner course, the race also attracted Slow Pace and Moryba, the beaten favorites in the last two renewals of the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz Handicap; Pocket Cowboys, whose three wins on turf at Belmont include the 2010 Mohawk and last year’s Kingston; and Hailstone, the runner-up in the recent Grade 2 Pan American. Hailstone has won only twice, but grabbed a share of three graded stakes last year at Woodbine before being purchased by Marc Keller and Bobby Ribaudo, who developed English-bred Grand Couturier to win the Sword Dancer Invitational in 2007 and 2008. “We were trying to buy some horses in Europe, but it’s difficult because there’s such a market for them in Hong Kong now,” Ribaudo explained. “This is a good spot cutting back from a mile and a half. He’s only won a couple races in his life, but he made more money running second in the Pan American than he would have by winning a ‘two-other than.’ This race will tell us if we’re good enough for something like the Manhattan,” a Grade 1 race on June 9. Al Khali, who began his career in Peru, won the 2009 Saranac and 2010 Bowling Green Handicap for Bill Mott. He has ran extensively in top-level races ever since, including a fourth in last year’s Manhattan, and a close third in the Northern Dancer to conclude 2011. After finishing off the board in the Donn Handicap in his 6-year-old bow, he returned to turf at Keeneland for an impressive allowance win from off the pace. Air Support won the Pilgrim here as a 2-year-old for Shug McGaughey, before racing too close to the early pace in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and tiring late. He was then transformed into a deep closer for a limited 3-year-old season, one that began with a win in the Transylvania in April and ended with a win in the Virginia Derby in July. He was a bit rusty finishing fifth behind Al Khali last month, but figures to improve after a bullet workout last Friday. Barclay Tagg entered Kindergarden Kid and Sky Blazer for turf. Birdrun, Praetereo, Redeemed, and Tech Fall entered dirt only.