New York-bred turf veterans warming up for another season

It looks as though King Kreesa, Kharafa, and Lubash – the New York-bred version of the Sunshine Boys – are preparing to tee it up again in 2016.

The 7-year-old King Kreesa, an eight-time stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 51.75 seconds over the Belmont Park training track Wednesday. King Kreesa had two three-furlong breezes at J.J. Crupi’s farm in Ocala, Fla., before shipping up. King Kreesa hasn’t run since finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile last October at Keeneland.

Meanwhile, down in Florida, Kharafa, at Gulfstream Park, and Lubash, at Payson Park, have been working as well. That trio has combined to win 36 races – 25 stakes – and more than $3.3 million in purse money.

Logically, an early-season target for this trio is the $125,000 Kingston Stakes at Belmont on May 30. Lubash, Kharafa, and King Kreesa ran one-two-three in that race in 2015.

One potential starting point for King Kreesa could be the Danger’s Hour, a one-mile race scheduled for turf at Aqueduct on April 10.

“Everything’s on the table,” trainer David Donk said.