Kharafa Finds Room in Elkwood

Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Kharafa found serious traffic in the stretch before bursting through an opening in the final 1/16th of a mile and posting a head victory in the $75,000 Elkwood Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

Trained by Tim Hills, Kharafa stepped the mile over firm turf in 1:34 1/5 and returned $4.40, $3.40 and $2.60 in the field of 11 colts and geldings.  Lochte, who grabbed the lead nearing the wire, had to settle for second, completing the $39 exacta and paying $9.40 and $5.20.  It was another head back to Inchcape, who paid $4 to show.

“I didn’t think I would ever find a hole, but finally there was an opening and he just went on through,” said winning rider Paco Lopez.  “I kept him down on the inside the whole way.  I didn’t want to get caught wide, so I had to sit and wait and luckily it all worked out.”

A 6-year-old gelding by Kitalpha from the King of Kings mare Exquisite Cassie, the New York-bred Kharafa has won 10 of 28 starts, with earnings just north of $750,000.

Live racing continues at Monmouth Park on Sunday, July 5, with a pair of graded stakes on the card, including the $500,000 Grade 1 United Nations featuring last year’s winner and Breeders’ Cup victor Main Sequence.  Gates open 11:30 a.m., first post 12:50 p.m.