Bodemeister’s 2-year-old colt Zulfikhar flashed signs of a great future with his debut win on July 7 at Los Alamitos Race Course, rolling to a 3 3/4-length win for his high-profile connections of owner Sheikh Maktoum and trainer Bob Baffert.
Zulfikhar had a tussle on his hands early with Almeria, but after a swift half-mile in :44.98 seconds, began to pull away and was going along smartly when he stopped the timer in :56.73, just a second off the track record (VIDEO).
Zulfikhar was a $750,000 purchase by Donato Lanni on behalf of the colt’s owner at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park sale this March. He was bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place, Donaldson, Broadbent and Hughes.
Zulfikhar’s dam Pink Diamond was stakes-placed at Hollywood Park, while her half-sister Rahy Dolly placed in the Hollywood Starlet (G1).
Bodemeister is the top-ranked Second-Crop Sire of 2017, his offspring led by Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming, as well as the multiple graded stakes winner American Anthem.
