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Mullikin makes the grade in G2 John A. Nerud

by Keith McCalmont

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Mullikin edged clear to a 1 1/2-length score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 John A. Nerud, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset and piloted by Flavien Prat, the 4-year-old Violence colt remained undefeated in 2024 having entered from a pair of prominent sprint scores against winners in Kentucky.

Mullikin broke alertly from the outermost post 5 but it was the Irad Ortiz, Jr.-piloted Prevalence that emerged to take command through splits of 22.54 seconds and 44.87 over the fast main track. Mullikin kicked up the tempo and took over the lead late in the turn as Coastal Mission was roused by Arnaldo Bocachica and loomed the main danger.

Prat asked Mullikin for more at the top of the lane and the colt responded in kind, kicking clear of Coastal Mission to notch the win in a final time of 1:20.54. It was a further 2 1/4-lengths back to Ninetyprcentmaddie with Everso Mischievous and Prevalence rounding out the order of finish.

Brisset said he was pleased to see Mullikin better behaved at the gate.

“We know the gate can be his little hiccup, but we have learned from him – he did it today; when he got in, he tried to go on the lower end and then the guy got him up and left him alone,” Brisset said. “If you try to do too much, he’ll start to do it again, so after that he broke and was in position. From there, it’s up to the horse and the jock. Perfect position and a good ride. It looks like he’s stepping up with the time [he posted], so we’ll see how the number comes back, bring him home, and go from there."

Mullikin enjoyed a solid sophomore campaign, graduating by 10 1/4-lengths last May at Churchill Downs ahead of a runner-up effort to graded stakes-winner Ryvit in the seven-furlong Maxfield over sloppy and sealed footing last July at Ellis Park.

He is undefeated as a 4-year-old, returning in April with a 5 3/4-length romp in a first-level allowance at Keeneland before a prominent 3 1/4-length score in a seven-furlong optional-claimer on June 8 at Churchill.

Prat, aboard for the seasonal debut score, said Mullikin is developing well.

“Very nice horse. He can be a little sluggish out of the gate, but today jumped well,” Prat said. “He just has a very high cruising speed, and he was game down the lane. I think Rodolphe did a great job to bring him to that point and the horse has improved race after race."

Brisset said the effort may have earned Mullikin a start in the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Forego on August 24 at Saratoga Race Course.

“That’s the logical next thing, but we’re going to have to see how he comes out. That’s what we’ll be looking at,” Brisset said. “We opted to come here because [it would give us] seven weeks until the Forego, and he’s actually a little better off if he has more space between racing, we think. With running that fast today, I’m happy we have six or seven weeks and not four. We’ll see how he comes out.”

Mullikin, a $500,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the graded stakes placed Congrats mare Tulira’s Star, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Mountain General.

Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, Mullikin banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 8-4-3-0. He returned $4.40 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct for Closing Day of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet. The nine-race card features the $125,000 Hudson Valley in Race 2 and the $125,000 Port Washington in Race 5. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, 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 spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.