NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s five-year-old gelding Kharafa, sent off at 6-1 under Angel Arroyo, powered past even-money King Kreesa at the top of the stretch, opened a three-length lead in mid-stretch and held off Lubash, the 3-1 second choice, by a length and a quarter to win the 36th running of the mile-and-a-sixteenth $200,000 Mohawk Stakes in 1:45.01 on a grass course rated “good”. King Kreesa was third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Lubash in third. Notacatbutallama finished fourth, another three-quarters of a length back, at 9-1.
Tim Hills trains Kharafa, a son of Kitalpha out of Exquisite Cassie by King of Kings who was bred by High Meadow Farm.
That Kharafa, who had finished in the money in five straight starts, went off at 6-1 spoke of the immense quality of this field of seven, which had collectively earned more than $3.5 million. Four of them had more than a half-million in earnings. Kharafa had the least earnings of the quartet with $533,497. Lubash ($911,079), King Kreesa ($772,370) and Notacatbutallama ($685,534) were 1-2-3.
King Kreesa, who had won the West Point Handicap by a head over Lubash and finished second by a neck to Lubash in the Ashley T. Cole in his last two starts, was made the clear favorite. Kharafa had finished a tiring third at 5-1 in the Ashley T. Cole, but that stakes was at a mile-and-an-eighth. At a mile-and-a-sixteenth, Kharafa had three wins, two seconds and a pair of thirds in eight starts.
Four horses vied for the early lead: Kharafa on the rail, King Kreesa from the two post, Notacatbutallama, who was ridden by John Velazquez from the five post, and Lubash, who was ridden by Junior Alvarado from the six post.
King Kreesa was squeezed momentarily between horses, but then went on to take the early lead by a length and a half. Kharafa raced in second, with Notacatbutallama on the rail in third and Lubash a half-length back on his outside in fourth through a slow quarter in :25.67 and a glacial half-mile in :51.25.
Ocala Jim, a 7-1 proposition under Jose Lezcano, made a bold middle move into second, but tired.
Arroyo sent up Kharafa on the outside of King Kreesa and he went right on by, hitting three-quarters in 1:15.73 with a two-length lead. Lubash rallied into second, but couldn’t threaten the winner.
“If Kharafa gets in tight, and they slow the pace down, he gets really rank,” Hills said. “So Angel’s job was to hustle him out of there and get in the clear, so that when King Kreesa took the lead, he could get around him. He did that to perfection.”
Arroyo said Kharafa “was doing it pretty easy.”
Kharafa improved his turf record to eight-for-23 with seven seconds and four thirds. He now has earnings of nearly $650,000.
