Kharafa tunes up for Kingston in Elusive Quality

Kharafa, the million-dollar-earning New York-bred gelding, will kick off his 8-year-old season in Saturday’s $150,000 Elusive Quality Stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

Last year, trainer Tim Hills also used the Elusive Quality to get Kharafa’s campaign going. He finished fifth, beaten five lengths by A Lot.

Hills is using the Elusive Quality as a prep for the $125,000 Kingston on May 29. Kharafa has run in the Kingston four consecutive years, winning it in 2014. He finished third in it last year.

Hills said Kharafa spent the bulk of the winter on a farm in Ocala, Fla., before shipping to Gulfstream Park West, where he trained the last six weeks.

“The track is real deep, good for legging up horses,” Hills said. “His last work there was in company and he did it real well. He’s fit enough to go seven-eighths.”

Paco Lopez will be aboard Kharafa, who has recorded eight of his 12 victories over the Belmont turf course.

Seven horses were entered for the Elusive Quality on turf: Calgary Cat, Disco Partner, Great Wide Open, Hammers Vision, Kharafa, Never Gone South, and Siding Spring. Alex the Terror and Greenpointcrusader were entered in the unlikely event the race is transferred to the main track.