Troubled by various issues during the early part of his racing career, Zulu Alpha took a while to get good. That was probably why owner-breeder Calumet Farm dropped him into the claiming ranks, running him for a tag of US$80,000 at Churchill Downs on September 14. Two parties came out pretty well that day. Calumet got the winners' purse from the race (which Zulu Alpha won by over nine lengths) plus his purchase price, and new owner Michael Hui got a horse that has turned into a new star in the turf ranks. Since being claimed, Zulu Alpha has won three of four races, all in graded stakes, and most recently took down the Mac Diarmida Handicap (USA-G2) at Gulfstream Park on March 2.
Zulu Alpha's immediate female family goes back to Highest Trump, a daughter of 1966 American champion handicap male Bold Bidder and the fine broodmare Dear April. Raced in Europe, Highest Trump was something of an anomaly as she scored her biggest win in the Queen Mary Stakes (ENG-G2) but was rated the champion 2-year-old filly in Ireland. Taking more after her maternal grandsire My Babu (the English champion 2-year-old male of 1947) than Bold Bidder, Highest Trump did not advance on her juvenile form at 3 or 4 and was retired to the paddocks with the Queen Mary as her only black-type win.
A half sister to the good California stakes mare April Dawn (by Gallant Man) and to the minor stakes winner Hurry Up Dear (by Dark Star), Highest Trump had the racing and pedigree credentials to gain access to the best sires of her day and started off with one of the best ever, Northern Dancer, for her first mating in 1977. The resulting colt, Dance Bid, won the 1981 Tetrarch Stakes (IRE-G3) and placed in four other Group races including the Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-G1).
Highest Trump produced five more foals in succession by Northern Dancer, including her second Tetrarch Stakes winner, Northern Plain, but her next foal of much significance was the 1987 filly Wasnah (by Northern Dancer's champion son Nijinsky II). Stakes-placed on the race course, Wasnah threw two fine runners in Bahri (by Riverman), rated the best 3-year-old miler in England in 1995 after winning two Group 1 events, and Bahhare (by Woodman), winner of the 1996 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Stakes (ENG-G2).
Winglet, Highest Trump's 1988 daughter by Alydar, was her first foal by a non-Northern Dancer line sire, and she was Highest Trump's most accomplished runner on the track, her victories including the 1991 Princess Stakes (USA-G2). She was also Highest Trump's best producing daughter, coming up with 1997 American champion 3-year-old filly Ajina to her initial mating with Australian Horse of the Year Strawberry Road (a paternal grandson of Nijinsky II). Ajina was a modestly successful broodmare, becoming the dam of stakes winner Manchurian (by Deputy Minister) and the second dam of multiple stakes winner North Slope, juvenile stakes winner Ruthless Quality and Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner Emboldened---all by 2004 American champion sire Elusive Quality, who, when put to Ajina's year-younger full sister Kobla, begot four-time Grade 1 winner and current top sire Quality Road. Kobla is also the second dam of 2016 Sanford Stakes (USA-G3) winner Bitumen, Group 3-placed Japanese stakes winner Mount Gold, and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Meshell.
Winglet next produced multiple Grade 3 winner Rob's Spirit (a 1997 son of 1987 American champion turf male Theatrical) and Zulu Alpha's dam Zori (by 1992 American Horse of the Year and two-time American champion sire A.P. Indy) before being sent to the 1999 Keeneland November mixed sale, where she brought US$4.6 million. Unfortunately, she lived only long enough to produce the Storm Cat filly she was carrying at the time of her sale before her untimely death at age 13, and that filly, Winged Cat, has not had any significant success as a broodmare in Japan after failing to reach the race track.
Zori, previously the dam of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor gelding Bank the Eight, has not managed to produce a live foal since the 2014 colt Zulu Echo (by 2007 American champion turf male English Channel), and her only daughter, the winning Rock Hard Ten mare Call the Ten, never produced a foal. Nonetheless, Zulu Alpha has already proven himself a credit to his dam as well as his sire, the late Street Cry (also the sire of the great Zenyatta and Australian sensation Winx), and given the improvement he has already shown, his flight up the ranks of staying American turf runners may have only just begun.
Zulu Alpha's immediate female family goes back to Highest Trump, a daughter of 1966 American champion handicap male Bold Bidder and the fine broodmare Dear April. Raced in Europe, Highest Trump was something of an anomaly as she scored her biggest win in the Queen Mary Stakes (ENG-G2) but was rated the champion 2-year-old filly in Ireland. Taking more after her maternal grandsire My Babu (the English champion 2-year-old male of 1947) than Bold Bidder, Highest Trump did not advance on her juvenile form at 3 or 4 and was retired to the paddocks with the Queen Mary as her only black-type win.
A half sister to the good California stakes mare April Dawn (by Gallant Man) and to the minor stakes winner Hurry Up Dear (by Dark Star), Highest Trump had the racing and pedigree credentials to gain access to the best sires of her day and started off with one of the best ever, Northern Dancer, for her first mating in 1977. The resulting colt, Dance Bid, won the 1981 Tetrarch Stakes (IRE-G3) and placed in four other Group races including the Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-G1).
Highest Trump produced five more foals in succession by Northern Dancer, including her second Tetrarch Stakes winner, Northern Plain, but her next foal of much significance was the 1987 filly Wasnah (by Northern Dancer's champion son Nijinsky II). Stakes-placed on the race course, Wasnah threw two fine runners in Bahri (by Riverman), rated the best 3-year-old miler in England in 1995 after winning two Group 1 events, and Bahhare (by Woodman), winner of the 1996 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Stakes (ENG-G2).
Winglet, Highest Trump's 1988 daughter by Alydar, was her first foal by a non-Northern Dancer line sire, and she was Highest Trump's most accomplished runner on the track, her victories including the 1991 Princess Stakes (USA-G2). She was also Highest Trump's best producing daughter, coming up with 1997 American champion 3-year-old filly Ajina to her initial mating with Australian Horse of the Year Strawberry Road (a paternal grandson of Nijinsky II). Ajina was a modestly successful broodmare, becoming the dam of stakes winner Manchurian (by Deputy Minister) and the second dam of multiple stakes winner North Slope, juvenile stakes winner Ruthless Quality and Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner Emboldened---all by 2004 American champion sire Elusive Quality, who, when put to Ajina's year-younger full sister Kobla, begot four-time Grade 1 winner and current top sire Quality Road. Kobla is also the second dam of 2016 Sanford Stakes (USA-G3) winner Bitumen, Group 3-placed Japanese stakes winner Mount Gold, and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Meshell.
Winglet next produced multiple Grade 3 winner Rob's Spirit (a 1997 son of 1987 American champion turf male Theatrical) and Zulu Alpha's dam Zori (by 1992 American Horse of the Year and two-time American champion sire A.P. Indy) before being sent to the 1999 Keeneland November mixed sale, where she brought US$4.6 million. Unfortunately, she lived only long enough to produce the Storm Cat filly she was carrying at the time of her sale before her untimely death at age 13, and that filly, Winged Cat, has not had any significant success as a broodmare in Japan after failing to reach the race track.
Zori, previously the dam of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor gelding Bank the Eight, has not managed to produce a live foal since the 2014 colt Zulu Echo (by 2007 American champion turf male English Channel), and her only daughter, the winning Rock Hard Ten mare Call the Ten, never produced a foal. Nonetheless, Zulu Alpha has already proven himself a credit to his dam as well as his sire, the late Street Cry (also the sire of the great Zenyatta and Australian sensation Winx), and given the improvement he has already shown, his flight up the ranks of staying American turf runners may have only just begun.
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