With a couple of graded options for turf sophomores this weekend, trainer
Bill Mott chose to cross-enter AL KHALI (Medaglia d’Oro) to Saturday’s Kent S.
(G3) at Delaware Park as well as Sunday’s $107,000
Saranac
S. (G3) at Saratoga. Mott opted for the Spa, a decision that looked shrewd
after No Inflation (Repriced) wired the field by 6 1/4 lengths in the Kent.
Mott’s choice looked positively brilliant on Sunday, when Al Khali broke through
with his first stakes score in the Saranac.
Owned by Brous Stable and Wachtel Stable, Al Khali bided his time in fifth
before launching his challenge in the stretch. The bay rolled to the lead
beneath Kent Desormeaux, comfortably pulled 1 1/4 lengths clear, and completed 1
3/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:53. The 8-5 second choice returned $5.40, $3.60
and $3.10 while keying the $67 exacta, $350 trifecta and $1,623 superfecta
(6-2-4-3).
“We love New York,” Mott said of his choosing the Saranac. “We didn’t have to
ship. He’s coming off only three weeks’ rest (since his third-place finish in
the August 14 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. [G2] at Saratoga), and I
didn’t want to van him down (to Delaware Park). I knew he ran well over this
course. The weather was pretty good, and I wanted to take a chance here. He
accelerated nicely today and closed off a relatively slow pace.”
El Crespo (A.P. Indy), who had tracked in third for much of the race, got up
for second and paid $11.80 and $7.60 as the 19-1 second longest shot on the
board. Armstrong Mill (Dynaformer) closed well after a troubled start in his
stakes debut, just missing second by a neck, and yielded $5.30 at 8-1. Reservoir
(Sky Classic) checked in fourth. Another 2 1/4 lengths back came 3-2 favorite
and early leader Sal the Barber (Alphabet Soup), who gave way after reeling off
splits of :23 2/5, :48 and 1:11 4/5. Rounding out the order of finish were Uncle
T Seven (Freud) and Blank Check (Awesome Again), while Lime Rickey (Lemon Drop
Kid) was scratched.
“It looked like a two horse race to me, with (Al Khali) and Sal the Barber,”
Desormeaux said. “I just wanted to make sure we didn’t make any donations. I
wanted to keep my horse close and keep Sal the Barber honest and everything did
work out very well. It was a good, honest pace and my horse was very
comfortable. (Sal the Barber) had some entertainment around the racecourse, and
I was able to sit in behind him and build up power. My horse was behind the
field in reserve and when I presented (Al Khali), he took off with a beautiful
turn of foot.”
Al Khali now sports a mark of 10-4-2-1, $140,724. Bred by Emory A. Hamilton
in Kentucky, the ridgling was sold for $15,000 as a yearling at Keeneland
September and exported to Peru. He was runner-up in his career debut last
September, then won his next two outings by a combined 12 lengths.
In the wake of those impressive performances, Al Khali was privately
purchased by WinStar Farm, repatriated to the United States and turned over to
Todd Pletcher. Al Khali made his U.S. bow in an allowance on the dirt at
Gulfstream Park in March, driving to a three-quarters of a length victory. He
joined the Triple Crown trail in the Illinois Derby (G2), only to retreat and
finish eighth. After another disappointing sixth in the Peter Pan S. (G2), Al
Khali switched to the turf in the Colonial Cup (G2), where he floated out wide
turning for home and checked in fifth. He showed improvement next time out when
finishing a rallying, but troubled, second in the A Gift S. at Belmont.
After the A Gift, Al Khali changed hands once more, and when reappearing in
the aforementioned Hall of Fame, he was racing for his current ownership and new
trainer Mott.
“It looked like he accelerated nicely in his last race (the Hall of Fame),
but he had a little bit of traffic trouble,” Mott recapped. “The horse in front
of him drifted out when he was making his move. He had to alter course and it
cost him a step.”
Out of the winning Maya (Capote), Al Khali has an unraced juvenile
half-brother named Moe Man (Yes It’s True) and an unnamed yearling half-brother
by City Zip. His third dam is noted broodmare Chic Shirine (Mr. Prospector),
heroine of the 1987 Ashland S. (G1) and a full sister to Queena, the champion
older mare of 1991. This is the family of Grade 1 winners Serra Lake (Seattle
Slew) and Brahms (Danzig), as well as current Salvator Mile H. (G3) victor Coal
Play (Mineshaft).