Mutasaabeq has no problem with turf in Bourbon Stakes

Mutasaabeq showed plenty of dirt ability this summer at Saratoga, but even more turf talent Sunday at Keeneland.

After a smart dirt-sprint debut win and a decent if distant third in the Grade 1 Hopeful, Mutasaabeq aced his turf and two-turn debut winning the Grade 2, $200,000 Bourbon Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.

Breaking slowly under Luis Saez, Mutasaabeq rallied from last to first with help from a strong pace and won going away, sailing down the middle of the course to take control just past the eighth pole, with no rival coming near him.

It was the fifth win in the Bourbon for trainer Todd Pletcher, who most recently captured the race in 2018 with Current. Pletcher and Saez swept the Sunday graded stakes at Keeneland when Variance won the Grade 1 Spinster.

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The Bourbon is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series offering automatic fees-paid entry into the BC Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, where Mutasaabeq already has demonstrated he enjoys the grass course.

Mutasaabeq, owned by Hamdan al Maktoum’s Shadwell Stables, is by the versatile sire Into Mischief and gets more turf from the female side of his family, his dam, Downside Scenario, a daughter of the late Scat Daddy. Pletcher, following the Hopeful, began working Mutasaabeq on turf and the colt enjoyed the experience.

“He was working so good on turf – we knew what we had,” said Saez, whose agent, Kiaran McLaughlin, would be training this colt had he not retired from the training ranks earlier this year. Mutasaabeq raced near a quick sprint pace in his first start but took no issue with rating at the back of the field Sunday. “At the half-mile, where are we going to go, inside or outside? Inside we had so many horses. I thought I had enough horse to go outside. He did it easy.”

Indeed, Saez wound up seven or eight paths off the inside fence at the top of the homestretch, but between Mutasaabeq’s momentum and the toll the fractions had taken on the frontrunners, wide worked just fine.

Two other late runners, Abarta and Nathan Detroit, filled out the place and show slots, Abarta finishing three quarters of a length better. Fourth went to the game pacesetter, Into the Sunrise, who ripped off an opening quarter-mile in 22.62 seconds, went the half in a demanding 47.09, and held on to the furlong grounds, where the winner swallowed him up.

Mutasaabeq paid $6 as the favorite and ran 1 1/16 miles on a firm course in 1:43.13. Now he’ll run into stronger opposition in the BC Juvenile Turf, but at least he has found the proper racing surface.