Zulu Kingdom goes a Maker’s Mark Mile for Brown’s 3,000th

Lexington, Ky.

After six morning scratches took all the speed out of Friday’s Grade 1, $650,000 Maker’s Mark Mile, a dirt race broke out on the Keeneland turf.

It set up nicely for Zulu Kingdom. The Ireland-bred 4-year-old colt came off an eight-month break to lead the field of seven older horses from gate to wire in a 5-1 upset. The victory gave trainer Chad Brown his 3,000th career win.

Click here for Keeneland entries and results.

“I looked at the race last night, and it looked like there was a ton of speed,” winning jockey Flavien Prat said. “I came this morning, and everyone scratched. It obviously changed the dynamic of the race.”

Forced to chase a soft pace, the expected late charge from England-based Eclipse Award winner Notable Speech (1-1) never materialized. With William Buick riding in the two path, the winner of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Mile checked at the three-sixteenths pole when he could not find room out of the second turn. He made a mild rally late to finish fourth.

“That’s racing,” Notable Speech’s trainer Charlie Appleby said. “We had plenty of traffic in front of us. We could never get the run. We will just put a line through it.”

The exits Friday morning seemed to be for a variety of reasons like cross-entry into another race, the desire to go a different distance or maybe even being scared off by Notable Speech. Most were listed as “stakes scratches” requiring no formal explanation.

Deterministic, who had been shipped from Florida to Kentucky on Sunday, was the most noteworthy absence. The two-time Grade 1 winner who was sidelined since August would have been among the early leaders. Trainer Miguel Clément did not return a call from Horse Racing Nation to find out the reason for his decision not to race.

“Once all the scratches were there, it certainly looked like (Zulu Kingdom) was going to be one-two with a clean break into the first turn with Rhetorical,” Brown told reporters by phone from New York.

But Irad Ortiz Jr. had his hands full with Rhetorical (5-2) in the starting gate. Even though he broke first from post 1, he was third after that, never closer at any call than 1 1/2 lengths. Aomori City (32-1), Notable Speech’s stablemate, stalked Zulu Kingdom through early fractions of 23.89, 47.71 and 1:11.58.

“Flavien usually makes all the right decisions,” Brown said. “No different today. He let the horse glide along there, get position and got a little breather down the backside.”

Notable Speech, who was last going into the first turn, bided his time as is his wont. Buick looked like he would go wide out of the second turn, but he tried to cut the corner. Instead of a seam, he found gridlock.

“It was a messy race,” Buick said. “I just got stuck behind horses. It never really opened up until too late. He closed very well. I mean he was a very unlucky loser. He got brought back to a halt.”

“I was not waiting for (Notable Speech),” Prat said, “but I was expecting him.”

Zulu Kingdom led by 2 1/2 lengths through seven furlongs in 1:22.96. By then John Velázquez had One Stripe (9-1) charging from last place only to finish second. Zulu Kingdom’s winning time was 1:34.90 on firm turf in the 74-degree sunshine.

“He finds himself on the lead just naturally,” Prat said. “I felt very comfortable the whole way around. He gave me a good run when we turned for home, and he dug in in the final strides.”

Zulu Kingdom paid $12.08, $5.82 and $4.62. One Stripe returned $9.72 and $5.54. Rhetorical paid $3.02 to show. Notable Speech, Brilliant Berti (11-1), Aomori City and Tiz Dashing (15-1) were fourth through seventh in that order. Deterministic, Wolfie’s Dynaghost, Bear River, Troubleshooting and also-eligible Pitkin filled a page of scratches.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso own Zulu Kingdom, a Ten Sovereigns ridgling who went 3-for-4 in 2025. He would have been undefeated were it not for a disputable disqualification from first to fourth in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) on Aug. 1 at Saratoga. That was the last time he raced before Friday.

Brown said Zulu Kingdom’s next start probably would be in New York with the Turf Classic (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard probably coming too soon.

“There’s a lot of time between now and the Fourstardave (G1),” he said, referring to the August race at Saratoga which is a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. “That’s certainly a race we hope to get to if he is healthy this season. With the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, if we have a healthy season, we can get there. Having a nice win over the course is certainly helpful.”

Brown, 47, deflected credit to his team of assistants and employees for getting his 3,000th career win.

“It’s sort of remarkable to think back on all the individual contributions and sacrifices (all the staff) made,” he said. “A lot of loyalty, a lot of consistency and a lot of hard work.”

How appropriate that it was a Grade 1 race. On the turf.

“Yeah,” said Prat, who rides regularly for Brown. “It couldn’t be any better.”