Breeders Cup Target For Ten Sovereigns’ Unbeaten Grade 2 Winner

Zulu Kingdom (2c Ten Sovereigns – Zindziswa, by Smart Strike) earned his place at the Breeders’ Cup when extending his unbeaten record in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont.

The second crop son of Ten Sovereigns made an impressive debut for Andre Fabre before selling privately to a group including Madaket Stables and Michael Dubb. He made a perfect start for Chad Brown in a Saratoga Grade 3 last month and was sent off favourite to follow up under Joel Roasario. His challenge was delayed as he waited for a clear run, coming wide on the turn for home and kept on well to deny his stablemate by a neck, with the pair finishing four and a half lengths clear of the remainder.

“He ran a super race especially for being steadied on the backstretch,” his trainer commented. “He’s always trained solid. He's always there for you in his works. He's never taken a wrong step.

“It looks like a nice setup for the Breeders' Cup. He's always struck me as a horse that might be even better at a mile with more pace. I think we'll see the best of him at a flat mile.”

The unbeaten half-brother to Listed winner Zulu Warrior (Saxon Warrior) was bred by Ecurie Peregrine. He is one of four black-type horses from Ten Sovereigns’ second crop, with the young sire responsible for 18 Stakes horses overall. Impressively, he boasts a higher black-type horses percentage than Too Darn Hot and Blue Point.