Maker starts nearly half the field in bid for 5th Calumet Turf Cup

Franklin, Ky.

Mike Maker gets five shots Saturday at becoming a five-time winner of Kentucky Downs’ biggest event.

Maker has Tide of the Sea (6-1), Zulu Alpha (6-1), Ajourneytofreedom (10-1), Glynn County (15-1) and Bluegrass Parkway (20-1) lined up for the Grade 2, $1 million Calumet Turf Cup Stakes. The trainer has a sixth runner, Dynadrive (20-1), on the also-eligible list for the 12-horse field.

Moments after having his picture taken Thursday with allowance winner Big Agenda, Maker was asked about saddling nearly half the field for the 1 1/2-mile Calumet Turf.

“I almost have a 50 percent chance of winning it,” Maker said. “We have a lot of turf marathon horses and a lot of horses that deserve a chance to run.”

Maker won what was then called the Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes in 2015 and ’16 with Da Big Hoss, 2017 with Oscar Nominated and 2019 with Zulu Alpha. For 2021, the race has been promoted from Grade 3 to Grade 2 status and designated a Breeders’ Cup Turf qualifier.

Zulu Alpha, an 8-year-old, has competed in the Calumet Turf three times, running 10th in 2017 and third last year. Seven of his 12 career wins have come in graded stakes, including a score in Gulfstream Park’s 2020 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

The Street Cry gelding has raced only twice this year, both times at Arlington. Zulu Alpha settled for fifth in July’s Arlington Stakes (G3) and seventh last month in the Mr. D Stakes (G1).

The Arlington turf was rated as good for both those races. Maker said he hopes the Kentucky Downs turf stays firm Saturday for Zulu Alpha, who will have jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. up.

“He’s been a fabulous horse for us,” Maker said, “and this is a course he loves.”

Jockey Luis Saez will pilot Tide of the Sea, a 5-year-old son of English Channel. He made the grade in January at Gulfstream in the W.L. McKnight Stakes (G3) but is winless in five starts since.

Ajourneytofreedom draws the services of another premier jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr. The 4-year-old Hard Spun gelding “shows up every time,” Maker said, and seeks a first graded win two starts after scoring in a Saratoga allowance.

Maker described 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy colt Glynn County as “an up-and-coming horse for us.”

Glynn County scored allowance victories this year at Churchill Downs and Keeneland, then was third last month in the Mr. D behind Two Emmys and Domestic Spending. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione rides Saturday.

Bluegrass Parkway rounds out the Maker quintet that drew into the Calumet Turf’s main field. Jockey Julien Leparoux gets a leg up on the 5-year-old Quality Road gelding, last-out winner of the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes at Ellis Park.

Maker entered Thursday with 11 graded stakes wins and $10.46 million earned in 2021. He came to Kentucky Downs off a Saratoga meet where he ranked third in wins with 25, behind only Chad Brown (41) and Todd Pletcher (31).

Kentucky Downs has been kind to Maker. He is the all-time leading trainer at the European-style turf course just north of the Kentucky-Tennessee border and has won its meet title five of the last six years.

“I always enjoy it here,” Maker said, “just love the place.”