Trainer Rodolphe Brisset’s patience with Mullikin was rewarded July 6 when the son of Violence posted his first black-type victory in the $194,000 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) at the Belmont at the Big A meeting.
A $500,000 yearling acquisition at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Mullikin made his racetrack debut last February as a 3-year-old for owners Siena Farm and WinStar Farm. It took him a couple of tries, but Mullikin dominated by double digits in his third outing at Churchill Downs. That would be the colt’s sole win of 2023 before he was put away for the rest of the year, only to resurface with vigor as a 4-year-old in a sparkling performance against first-level allowance company during the Keeneland spring meet.
Another victory just as impressive followed in a second-level allowance at Churchill June 8, and with few conditions left, the chocolate-coated colt made the leap to graded stakes competition Saturday.
The jump proved well within Mullikin’s reach, as the colt won with authority under jockey Flavien Prat.
Flanking a lively early tempo of :22.54 and :44.87 set by Prevalence , Mullikin drew alongside the front-runner turning for home and took control down the lane. Under steady encouragement from Prat, Mullikin repelled a bold bid from Coastal Mission to strike the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front in 1:20.54 for the seven furlongs on a fast main track. The final was only two ticks off Artax’s 1:20.04 track record set in 1999.
“He just has a very high cruising speed, and he was game down the lane,” Prat said. “I think Rodolphe (Brisset) did a great job to bring him to that point and the horse has improved race after race.”
Mullikin returned $4.40 as the 6-5 post-time favorite.
Coastal Mission, a hard-knocking West Virginia-bred, saved runner-up honors to take his career bankroll to $731,653.
“No excuses, I had a perfect trip. When I asked him, he responded, like he usually does, just couldn’t go by (the winner),” jockey Arnaldo Bocachica said of Coastal Mission.
Ninetyprcentmaddie , the longest shot on the board in the field of five, completed the trifecta.
Saturday’s score has put the Aug. 24 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on the radar for the improving Mullikin. Brisset, who admitted he “loved” the colt from the time he laid eyes on him as a 2-year-old at WinStar Farm, has been encouraged by Mullikin’s mental and physical development during the past year.
“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,” Brisset said.
Bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, Mullikin is the third winner produced by the Congrats mare Tulira’s Star . Mullikin is her first stakes winner. The graded stakes-placed mare also has a 2-year-old filly by McKinzie , a yearling colt by Maxfield , and delivered a Liam’s Map colt this past term.
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