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Mufasa roars to victory in G3 Vosburgh

by Keith McCalmont

Carlos Saavedra and Stud Vendaval’s Mufasa, a Group 3-winner in his native Chile, made his U.S. stakes debut a winning one under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Vosburgh, at Belmont at the Big A.

In capturing the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, the 5-year-old Practical Joke dark bay earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar.

Trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, Mufasa made his first two stateside starts in optional-claiming sprints, finishing a pace-pressing sixth in his June debut traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Churchill Downs ahead of a 3 3/4-length win last out over multiple graded stakes-winner Repo Rocks going seven furlongs on August 12 at Colonial Downs.

“I think it was impressive. We were expecting something big from him,” Correas, IV said of the Vosburgh effort. “I’m not sure if that is big, the only question was the surface. He’d never run on the slop. He did everything good, like usual, like good horses do.

“He’s a good horse, probably when he ran at Churchill, it was a little short, but he showed he could run, he made a big move that day,” Correas, IV added. “Then, at Colonial, he beat a very good horse. Then today he was impressive again. I mean, no words can describe his performance.”

Dean Delivers, who arrived on a four-race all-stakes win streak, broke alertly from post 4 under Jaime Rodriguez and set splits of 23.13 seconds and 46.47 over the sloppy and sealed footing with Mufasa tracking to his outside in second position.

Mufasa loomed large in the turn while advancing with little urging from Ortiz, Jr. to take command at the top of the lane with Scotland launching his wide bid under Junior Alvarado. But there would be no denying Mufasa, who with a shake of the reins and a couple taps of the crop, crossed the wire a comfortable 4 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:22.51. Scotland completed the exacta by 2 3/4-lengths over Dean Delivers with Baby Yoda, Seven’s Eleven and Lord Miles rounding out the order of finish. Comedy Town was scratched.

Ortiz, Jr. said he felt confident throughout while piloting the talented dark bay for the first time.

“He jumped good and after that, I just bided my time,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I sit there and wait and bide my time to go, and when I ask him, he was there for me to be honest.

“Pace slowed down a little bit, [but he] was traveling so good,” Ortiz, Jr. added. “I could have gone faster if I want to. The horse did everything positive. I’m very happy with everything he did on the track today.”

Alvarado said Scotland, winner of the Listed Curlin last summer at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, was simply second best.

“He broke great and just got outfooted at the beginning by the Dean Delivers horse,” Alvarado said. “I kind of had to sit behind the pack there and we weren’t going as quick as I was hoping. But I made my move at the three-eighths pole, five-sixteenths I tried to catch the winner and go on with him. We just kind of sprinted for home and we finished very strong. My horse put a great effort once again.”

Mufasa captured the Group 3 General Jose Miguel Carrera in November at Hipodromo Chile as part of eight wins from 10 starts in Chile before moving to the Correas barn.

Correas, IV noted that he would consider both the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as potential next targets for Mufasa.

“Sprint, Mile, I don’t know. I have to talk to the owners,” Correas, IV said. “He’s going to Breeders’ Cup if everything is OK. So, we’ll see.

“We still have time to think and look into it,” Correas, IV added. “We still have a little bit more than a month.”

Bred by Haras Paso Nevado, Mufasa banked $137,500 in victory while improving his record to 13-10-0-0. He returned $5.20 for a $2 win bet as the mutuel favorite.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom in Race 2 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – in Race 8. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.