Kharafa, Lubash square off again in Thursday feature

It may be six of one or a half-dozen of another in Thursday’s feature, a high-end optional claimer for New York-breds that could serve as a prep race for upcoming stakes such as the Fort Marcy, Kingston, and/or the Commentator, depending on the weather.

Heading the group of six entered for 1 1/16 miles on turf are Kharafa and Lubash, who faced each other five times last year; the versatile Notacatbutallama, a graded stakes winner on turf and wet dirt; and Pinball, who has won all five of his races on dirt and turf over the past two seasons.

Kharafa won or placed six times and banked more than $250,000 for trainer Tim Hills in 2013, including a photo-finish win over Lubash in the Ashley T. Cole. He rebounded from a subpar performance in the Mohawk to beat Lubash and Notacatbutallama in the Three Coins Up overnight stakes over the Aqueduct course in November.

“After [the Mohawk], we had him scoped, and it turned out he flipped his palate,” Hills said. “It was a no-brainer; we had it fixed, and he came back and trained well.”

Kharafa comes off a tough trip in the Grade 3 Appleton in his first start of the year, when off slowly and steadied along repeatedly between horses through the opening stages.

Lubash, 7, makes his first start since a fast finish for third as the favorite in the Three Coins Up. The hard-knocking horse earned Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or better in seven of eight starts last year, highlighted by a Fort Marcy win in stakes-record time under Junior Alvarado, who returned to action last week after being sidelined by a broken ankle in a starting-gate mishap prior to the East View last December.

Notacatbutallama and Pinball are threats whether the race stays on turf or is switched to the main track at one mile. The former won the Hill Prince on grass along with a sloppy renewal of the off-the-turf Hall of Fame Stakes last summer for Todd Pletcher, while Pinball hasn’t lost since 2012 and looms the potential controlling speed for Bill Mott.

Zivo, who swept three starts on the inner dirt by rallying from dead last, capped by the Kings Point, heads a sextet entered for the main track only. “He definitely prefers to run at some pace, but he’s pretty adaptable,” said trainer Chad Brown.

Comandante, who wired the Alex M. Robb three races back for Pletcher, and Spa City Fever, who is 4 for 11 since being claimed by David Jacobson, would supply early pace in the event of a surface switch.