Zulu Alpha's Pegasus Turf win especially gratifying for Maker

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mike Maker certainly wasn’t resting on his laurels after sending Zulu Alpha out to upset the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational here Saturday. Less than 24 hours later, Maker was already at Sam Houston where he had six entrants in three stakes races on the Houston Racing Festival program.

Zulu Alpha rallied from midpack under a splendid, rail-skimming ride by jockey Tyler Gaffalione to run down the pacesetting Magic Wind to register a two-length victory in the second running of the Pegasus Turf. The performance earned the 7-year-old, haltered by owner Michael Hui for $80,000 at Churchill Downs in September of 2018, a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure and swelled his lifetime earnings to more than $1.9 million.

“He came back well,” Maker said by phone from Texas on Sunday. “That was absolutely his best race ever. After spending much of my life working in this industry, it’s very gratifying to have taken a former claiming horse like Zulu Alpha and win a million dollar race. Especially to do it for someone like Michael Hui. It’s very special.”

Maker noted how fortuitous it was that Zulu Alpha ended up in his barn in the first place. Trainer John Ortiz claimed the horse for Hui out of a race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 14, 2018, then sent him out to win the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland in his next start.

“But John was going to Oaklawn for the winter after that, and Michael wanted the horse to go to Florida,” Maker recalled. “So they sent him to me at Gulfstream last winter.”

Zulu Alpha has continued to flourish with Maker while also showing a real affinity for the Gulfstream Park turf course, winning both the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and Grade 3 W.L. McKnight here last winter. Zulu Alpha capped off a 6-year-old campaign during which he banked more than $1.1 million with a late-running fourth place finish behind Eclipse Award winner Bricks and Mortar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Maker said Zulu Alpha will likely make one more start here this winter, either in defense of his title in the Mac Diarmida on Feb. 29 or in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 28.

Zulu Alpha could have been part of a graded turf stakes double for Maker on Saturday had the trainer's Cross Border not been beaten a neck by Spooky Channel about a half-hour earlier in the 12-furlong McKnight.

“That was a tough beat,” said Maker. “[Cross Border] ran a great race. He had no excuses. I guess it was just a jump or so too far for him. I haven’t talked to the connections yet, but he’ll probably run him back in one of the next ones [Mac Diarmida or Pan American], too.”

Maker will be busy here next Saturday as well when planning to run Sunset Promise in the Sweetest Chant, Field Pass in the Dania Beach, and Relentless Dance in either the seven-furlong Swale or Grade 3 Holy Bull.

Relentless Dancer has been idle since registering a 10 1/2-length victory in a stakes restricted to Louisiana-breds on Oct. 19 at Delta Downs. The win was the second one-sided victory in a row for the son of Midshipman, who was a 9 3/4-length maiden winner at Churchill Downs on Sept. 27.

“He got sick shortly after his last race, in fact I was pretty concerned for him there for a couple of weeks,” said Maker. “But he’s doing very well now and I’m happy he’s ready to get back to action.”

Relentless Dancer has posted a series of sharp works including back-to-back, bullet five-furlong drills on Jan. 13 and Jan. 20.

“He was always one who tipped his hand to us in the morning,” said Maker. “He’s also shown a lot more stamina than I expected, so I don’t think two turns should be any issue for him.”

Relentless Dancer turned in his final prep for his much anticipated 3-year-old debut breezing a very easy half-mile in 48.33 before galloping out a strong five-eighths in 1:01.45 Monday at Gulfstream Park.