Mi Bago collects second stakes win in last three starts in Friday’s Pulpit at Gulfstream. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.
Gary Barber’s Mi Bago bounced back from a troubled and better-than-appeared run over Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar with a victory in Friday’s $100,000 Pulpit Stakes on the second day of Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet in South Florida.
Fifth and beaten only 2 lengths at 45-1 last time out in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, Mi Bago took control of the Pulpit from the start and held off all his rivals to win as the 9-5 favorite. Ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, the 2-year-old son of Vekoma won by 5 lengths over 7-2 second choice Hit That Review and 6-1 Bucaro in third. Mi Bago won in 1:27.06 for the 7 1/2 furlongs on firm turf.
Mi Bago led from the break and into the first turn, opening up 1 1/2 lengths over Enterdadragon through the opening quarter-mile in :23.50. Mi Bago widened that advantage to 3 1/2 lengths through the half in :46.24 with Hit That Review, Discreet Dancer and Como among the closest pursuers behind Enterdadragon.
Past 6 furlongs in 1:09.61, Gonzalez gave a look over his shoulder turning for home as Mi Bago maintained his 3-length advantage over Bucaro in midstretch. They widened again from there and finished well clear. Hit That Review edged Bucaro by a neck for second, with Discreet Dancer fourth.
“Honestly, I kind of left it up to Edwin. He said he was going to break and try and get himself into a good position,” Casse’s assistant Nick Tomlinson said. “He broke running, and I was a little worried about how fast they were going. But he really quickened impressively. He ran really well today. It was a great race.”
Mi Bago improved to 3-for-5 with the victory and picked up $58,900 to boost his earnings to $178,910.
Bred by Highclere Inc. and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Mi Bago is the fifth winner produced by the unraced New York-bred Indian Charlie mare Wabanaki. She’s the dam of seven-time winner and $227,242-earner Lady Macho (by Mucho Macho Man) and winners What Mightavebeen (Freud), Dawnland (Jimmy Creed) and Weyron (Goldencents).
A $62,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale in 2023, Mi Bago was a $90,000 RNA later in the year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Mi Bago won his debut in a 5-furlong dirt maiden at Colonial Downs August 1 for owner CM Thoroughbreds and trainer Carlos Munoz.
Barber purchased Mi Bago privately after that effort and moved him to his primary trainer Casse. Mi Bago finished a non-threatening sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course August 25 before moving to the grass to win the October 5 bet365 Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine.
“He’s got the talent. Especially for a 2-year-old to go three-quarters in 1:09, that’s a lot to ask of them,” Tomlinson said. “The performance today was extremely impressive. We’ll definitely keep him on the grass. There’s a lot of good 3-year-old stakes coming up. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out and go from there.”
