Following the words of the famed fictional lion king with whom he shares a name, Mufasa remembered who he was when returning to a seven-furlong sprint Dec. 28, establishing himself as a commanding force and upsetting 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio in the $150,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The Chilean-bred had won two consecutive starts at seven furlongs over the summer and fall, including the Sept. 28 Vosburgh Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, and was overall 4-for-4 at the distance entering the gate Saturday. However, with no seven-furlong option in the Breeders' Cup, Mufasa was a nonfactor when shuffled to midpack early in the two-turn Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 2, finishing 11th.
"I saw the horse that I saw in the Vosburgh and I saw in the race at Colonial Downs," trainer Ignacio Correas IV said, referring to an allowance optional claiming win at the Virginia track that preceded the Vosburgh. "I thought that was probably my mistake thinking it was better to go two turns than stay sprinting."
Luckily for his connections, the Breeders' Cup left no scar as the 5-year-old son of Practical Joke returned with a sharp break for jockey Tyler Gaffalione and found himself in a perfect stalking position outside Super Chow, his pressure pushing the pacesetter through fractions of :22.77 and :45.41.
The same perfect trip was not experienced by 2-5 favorite White Abarrio, who, searching for his first stakes win since the 2023 Classic, hopped awkwardly at the break and was outpaced while racing ninth of 10 early.
"(Jockey) Irad (Ortiz Jr.) said he raised his head right before (the gate opened). They settled him again and he did it as they opened the gate," said White Abarrio's trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr. "Last time he broke a little tardy, too. I don't know if he wasn't settled, but that's racing."
As Super Chow grew leg-weary approaching the quarter pole, Mufasa easily established command. From there, his win was never in doubt as he roared to the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front, completing the distance in 1:22.47. He paid $10.20 to win.
White Abarrio picked his way through traffic on the far turn and turned for home in fifth. Making an impressive rally in the middle of the track, he made a valid effort to nail 71-1 longshot Little Vic for second on the wire.
"He took a lot of dirt," Joseph said. "He came from an impossible position, in my opinion, and he got pretty close."
The Mr. Prospector was White Abarrio's intended prep for the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream.
Mufasa earned his third victory in five starts since arriving in the United States this year. Before that, he was a group 3 winner in his native Chile. His overall record now stands at 11-0-0 from 15 starts and earnings of $339,191 for owners Carlos Saavedra and Stud Vendaval.
"We're going to try to keep him sprinting and see where that takes us," Correas said about plans for Mufasa.
Haras Paso Nevado bred him from the Scat Daddy mare Miscanti.
Mufasa is one of seven individual North American graded stakes winners by Practical Joke in 2024, with the sire also represented this year by grade 1 winners Domestic Product and Ways and Means. Practical Joke will stand the 2025 season for $75,000 at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.
