Familiar trio in Kingston difficult to separate
ELMONT, N.Y. – Handicappers will be faced with the same question they have been faced with on so many other occasions over the past several years when it comes to selecting the winner of Monday’s $125,000 Kingston Stakes at Belmont Park. Who do you like among King Kreesa, Lubash, and Kharafa?
The one-mile Kingston will bring that trio of popular New York-breds back yet one more time, with little to distinguish one from the other two. King Kreesa won the 2013 Kingston with Kharafa second and Lubash third. Last year, it was Kharafa over Lubash with King Kreesa sitting out the Kingston due to a foot injury.
The last time the three arch-rivals met was last October in the Mohawk, with Kharafa coming out on top. Five weeks earlier, Lubash had won the A.T. Cole. Before that, King Kreesa proved best at Saratoga in the West Point.
“It’s certainly been a fun group of horses who have been very competitive and seem to take turns beating one another,” said Dave Donk, who sends King Kreesa out for his second start of the year.
“They are very close on ability,” said Lubash’s trainer, Christophe Clement. “I would like to think Lubash is slightly best, but I guess I’m a little prejudiced. They’re all getting older, and at some point you have to start losing your form a little bit, and mine is a little bit older than the other two.”
Lubash is the senior member of the group at 8. Both King Kreesa and Kharafa are 6-year-olds.
Each has had one start under his belt this year, with each of those races coming against open company. Kharafa was an impressive 3 3/4-length allowance winner at Keeneland, King Kreesa finished sixth turning back to seven furlongs last month at Belmont in the Elusive Quality, while Lubash finished third in a one-mile overnight stakes at Aqueduct on April 19.
Kingston, race 8
Key Contenders
King Kreesa (Last 3 Beyers: 91-95-99)
◗ “Seven furlongs is just not his game, but I didn’t have any options to run anywhere else,” said trainer David Donk about King Kreesa’s 2015 debut. “He’s a year older but at the same time he looks and is training great. He has a race underneath him, and I would expect a really good effort on Monday.” Lubash (Last 3 Beyers 91-99-99)
◗ He’s the richest member of the field, having surpassed $1 million in career earnings with 12 victories in 40 starts, and has not finished worse than third in 11 consecutive appearances dating back to the summer of 2013.
“His last start wasn’t a bad performance,” said Clement. “It was an okay race first race back, and he’s trained well since.”
Kharafa (Last 3 Beyers: 98-102-91)
◗ He posted his only victory in eight career starts at a mile when outlasting Lubash by a length to capture the 2014 Kingston.
◗ He seems to actually be improving with age, having posted Beyer Speed Figures ranging between 98 and 102 in five of his last seven starts dating back to the spring of 2014.
Strong field in Mount Vernon
King Kreesa’s baby sister Lady Kreesa will be among the seven New York-bred fillies set to contest the $125,000 Mount Vernon at a mile.
Lady Kreesa comes off arguably the best performance of her career, a two-length allowance win in her 2015 bow here on April 30. She will likely be an outsider among a field that also includes defending champion Mah Jong Madness as well as stakes winners Old Harbor and Invading Humor.
Mount Vernon, race 2
KEY CONTENDERSLady Kreesa (Last 3 Beyers 72-55-71)◗ She and Laura Can Disco are the two members of the field coming into the race off a victory. She loses her regular rider, Irad Ortiz Jr., who is in California on Monday, but Donk picked up an ample replacement in Javier Castellano.
Mah Jong Madness (Last 3 Beyers: 76-62-65)
◗ Has tailed off since leading from gate to wire to win this race a year ago, having gone winless in five subsequent starts while off the board in her last four tries.
Invading Humor (Last 3 Beyers: 65-75-82)
◗ Back with her own kind after fading to finish ninth after setting the pace for the opening six furlongs of the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap in her 2014 finale.
Old Harbor (Last 3 Beyers 89-81-73)
◗ She closed out her 3-year-old campaign on a strong note, finishing second behind the multiple graded stakes winner Discreet Marq in the Ticonderoga following an allowance win five weeks earlier. She shows only four works in preparation for her 4-year-old bow.