Kharafa, King Kreesa get 7-year-old seasons started in Elusive Quality

ELMONT, N.Y. – Two-thirds of New York racing’s version of the Sunshine Boys will be in action Saturday at Belmont Park, where the 7-year-olds Kharafa and King Kreesa meet in the $100,000 Elusive Quality Stakes, scheduled for seven furlongs over the Widener turf course.

Kharafa, King Kreesa, and the 9-year-old Lubash– who made his seasonal debut in the Danger’s Hour at Aqueduct and is not in the Elusive Quality – have combined to win 36 races and $3.2 million. That trio has also combined to win the traditional quartet of New York-bred turf stakes – the Ashley T. Cole, Kingston, West Point, and Mohawk – 13 times.

Tim Hills, the trainer of Kharafa, and David Donk, the trainer of King Kreesa, both said they are using this race as a stepping-stone to the $200,000 Kingston at Belmont on May 30. Lubash, who won that race last year, is likely to show up in the Kingston as well.

In 2015, Kharafa got his season started by winning an allowance race at Keeneland. Hills was planning on doing something similar this year but said the horse had a minor muscle strain in his back that forced him to miss a work and push his return back.

Though seven-eighths isn’t Kharafa’s ideal distance, Hills at least likes the fact that the Elusive Quality is at Belmont, with the “big, sweeping turns,” he said.

“He just loves that turf course,” Hills said.

Kharafa has a record of 7-6-1 from 14 starts at Belmont.

King Kreesa is 7-3-3 from 15 starts at Belmont. One of his two poor races at Belmont came in this race last year, when he finished sixth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths as the favorite.

“Maybe it was just first off the bench,” Donk said. “Maybe it’s an in-between distance that didn’t quite suit him. Regardless, he needs to get started. He’s done well, and this leads us into the New York-bred race on the 30th.”

The Elusive Quality drew a field of 12, though two were entered for the main track only. Other top contenders include Mosler, who won this race last year; A Lot, who won the seven-furlong Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds last spring at Belmont; Green Mask, third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; and Aztec Brave, who won the Danger’s Hour in 2015.