It wasn't the easiest of trips for Zulu Kingdom but in the end it propelled him to where any talented 2-year-old wants to be.
Namely, the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Living up to his status as a 4-5 favorite, the son of Ten Sovereigns had to navigate around rivals while waiting for room and then rallied wide on the final turn to notch a neck victory over a fast-closing Noble Confessor to take the $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) for 2-year-olds Sept. 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack and earn a free spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).
"He ran a super race especially for being steadied on the backstretch," trainer Chad Brown said after his fourth Pilgrim win. "He's always trained solid. He's a very strong colt. He's always there for you in his works. He acts like a real horse. He's never taken a wrong step."
The victory was the second straight for the undefeated juvenile colt since he was purchased by his current connections and moved to the United States. Purchased by a partnership consisting of Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss, and Michael Caruso after he won his June 4 career debut in France for trainer Andre Fabre, he debuted for Brown Aug. 29 and promptly captured the With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course.
Next comes the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar as the Pilgrim was part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series and awarded the winner a free "Win and You're In" spot in the Juvenile Turf.
Though he won on yielding turf Saturday, his victory at the Spa came on firm turf, the kind of surface he will likely face at the World Championships in sunny Southern California.
"I think he'll be better on firm turf, the way he moves," Brown said.
Joel Rosario and Zulu Kingdom ($3.70) were fifth in the field of eight after a half-mile and then rallied 4-5 wide on the final turn to take the lead leaving the eighth pole. He crossed the wire in 1:48.67 for the 1 1/16 miles on yielding turf in a finish that had some drama in the final yards as Noble Confessor chewed into the lead.
"I think he was just waiting a little bit. He's young," Rosario said. "He looked a little bit around … and was just looking for some company."
St. Elias Stable's Noble Confessor showed some early speed then dropped back and closed fast in the stretch to just miss.
The son of Quality Road , who was trying turf for the first time for trainer Todd Pletcher, was 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Brown's other entrant, Klaravich Stables' Early Adopter, a maiden winner by Lope de Vega who courageously regrouped to finish third after checking between horses in the final furlong. Brown said the Juvenile Turf could be in play depending on how the 2-year-old exits the Pilgrim.
"He showed a lot. To be sandwiched that hard and regain his composure and re-break and get up for third really showed me a lot. And he galloped out big. He looks to have a bright future," Brown said. "He's built to go longer. He might benefit from some time to mature but I wouldn't rule out the Breeders' Cup."
Zulu Kingdom is the third of four foals from the winning Smart Strike mare Zindziswa and is her second stakes winner and first graded stakes winner. She also has a yearling colt by Magna Grecia.
