Mi Bago runs Kingston rivals off their feet
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the first time in his 17-race career, Mi Bago raced without blinkers in Wednesday’s $200,000 Kingston Stakes at Saratoga.
For the fifth time in his career in a two-turn stakes, Mi Bago led throughout for a dominant win. The victory over New York-breds ended an eight-race losing streak in stakes since the Colonel Liam Stakes at a mile at Gulfstream Park in March 2025.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Mi Bago took the lead shortly after the start in the Kingston and quickly had a four-length advantage. He set solid fractions of 23.89 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.02 for a half-mile, while maintaining his advantage.
The chasing pack made no impression in the stretch. Mi Bago won by 4 1/2 lengths, finishing 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:39.61.
“I think the firm turf” helped,” said winning trainer Mark Casse. “Jose said he could have been tough with anybody.”
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Casse said Mi Bago raced without blinkers to “try to get him to relax.”
Spirit of St Louis, a two-time Grade 1 winner in 2025, closed from sixth to finish second as the 8-5 favorite, finishing a length in front of 8-5 George Briggs. Bettrluckythangood finished fourth, followed by Smooth Breeze, Leon Blue, and Funny Factor.
Spirit of St Louis was beaten for the sixth time since his win in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic in May 2025. Ridden by Manny Franco, Spirit of St Louis closed steadily in the Kingston but failed to threaten Mi Bago.
“My horse ran very well,” Franco said. “The winner kept running away. He was going a decent pace and he didn’t come back.”
Mi Bago, a 4-year-old gelding by Vekoma who races for Gary Barber, has won 7 of 17 starts. Mi Bago has earned $705,900.
Earlier this year, Mi Bago won an allowance race at a mile on turf at Gulfstream. He was last of eight in the Grade 2 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March and the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs on April 30.
Mi Bago won 2 of 8 starts in 2025, a season highlighted by wins in the Dania Beach Stakes on the synthetic track at Gulfstream and the Colonel Liam Stakes on turf there.
The Kingston Stakes was his first start against statebreds since a sixth-place finish in the Funny Cide Stakes on dirt at Saratoga in August 2024.
“The company wasn't as tough as he’s been running in, but today was one of his best performances,” Casse said. “I thought it was a fairly tough New York-bred race.”