United Nations
Graded stakes will be renewed around the country this Independence Day weekend but one of the oldest and most prestigious goes at Monmouth Park as they will come together for the $750,000 United Nations Stakes.
First run in 1953 at Atlantic City Race Course, this mile and three-eighths turf extravaganza is sure to attract a quality field and the most potent of those will be previewed today.
Some of the most exciting grass runners in history have won this race. Round Table ended the 1950s winning this fray for the second time.
The 1968 Horse of the Year, Dr. Fager, graced the winner’s circle after this race as did champion Manila and also solid stars Lure, Sandpit and English Channel.
This season, Presious Passion was on course to try to make history as the only runner to win three consecutive U.Ns, but was not right in his last race and did not enter.
The fact that Acclamation shows up speaks volumes as his talented trained, Don Warren, seldom strays from California. The runner has really come of age this season and is off a pair of Graded wins, the last in the G1 Whittingham.
Straight Story gets the acid test here. He comes off a clever win but it was against much softer allowance rivals.
Winchester is coming to the race right for Christophe Clement. He had a light year in 2009 but woke up at Keeneland in an allowance race this spring, then took the Grade 1 Manhattan just about a month ago.
Telling drew the rail and has the class to make some noise. He won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer last year and had two excuses last time, a yielding course and he was caught wide.
Sports bettors may lean toward Take the Points, who put back-to-back Grade 1 wins together last year and is coming off a much-needed race.
Adding foreign intrigue to the mix is the likely appearance of Europe’s Chinchon, an Irish-bred 5-year-old who has been racing in France, and Jeune-Turc, a Brazilian-bred runner who would be making his first U.S. start.
Jeune-Turc has a nice turn of late foot but may not take to the course at Oceanport while Chinchon has been right there in Group 1 company and he got a much needed prep with a late charge in his Chantilly finale.
Get Serious loves to win races, is always forwardly placed and will be on his high horse from slot 2.
Laureate Conductor could be the rabbit for Clement. He recently pushed the issue over the course and he won a minor stakes here last season.
Look for it to shake out this way. Get Serious tries to make the lead but he cannot wrestle the top slot from Acclamation. That runner will use his Western speed to lead but will try to go as slow as possible early on.
At the top of the lane, Winchester will rear his pretty head as he tries to run down the leaders but in the end Acclamation digs in to win.
You could do much worse than boxing this top pair.
