Oft-injured seven-year-old wins first Grade 1 in his 19th start, setting course record in United Nations Handicap

To say that Charles Deters's homebred Down the Aisle's career has been star-crossed would be a tremendous understatement. Various nagging ailments have limited the seven-year-old horse by Runaway Groom out of That's My Hon, by L'Enjoleur, to a total of 18 lifetime starts going into the 47th renewal of the $350,000 United Nations Handicap (G1) on July 1 at Monmouth Park.

United Nations H. (G1)
Monmouth Park, July 1, $350,000, 13/8 miles, turf, firm, 2:13.63
1-DOWN THE AISLE, h. 7, Runaway Groom-That's My Hon, by L'Enjoleur.
2-Aly's Alley, c. 4, Alwuhush-Aly Capri, by Alydar.
3-Honor Glide, h. 6, Honor Grades-Becky Branch (Ire), by Run the Gantlet.

"He'd always come back to the barn with something," Deters said. Down the Aisle was primed and ready for the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) but cracked a coffin bone four days prior to the race, an injury that kept him away from the races for 18 months. Even then, he only managed to go postward three times in 1999 before needing a nine-month break.

All of those sour moments turned very sweet in just one very fast race at Monmouth, though. Down the Aisle uncorked a powerful stretch drive to wear down a game Aly's Alley to win the United Nations by three-quarters of a length before a crowd of 14,366.

The time of 2:13.63 for 1 3/8 miles over firm turf shattered Monmouth's course and stakes record by more than two seconds. This was the second running of the United Nations at 1 3/8 miles at Monmouth. Steinlen (GB) set the stakes record for the traditional 1 3/16-mile distance at Atlantic City Race Course in 1990, where the race had been held since 1953.

Deters's son Jeremy, the youngest of 11 children, vividly recalled the last time Down the Aisle posted a course record.

"The last time he broke a track record was the summer of 1997 at Saratoga in an allowance race at 1 1/2 miles over the inner course," Jeremy Deters said. "The next day, Awad smashed that course record by more than a second in the Sword Dancer (Invitational Handicap [G1])."

Down the Aisle's closing kick surprised jockey Robbie Davis, who tracked the pacesetting Aly's Alley through a :48.92 half-mile, a 1:14.56 three-quarters, and a mile in 1:38.04, while running with bar shoes.

"He felt like a Quarter Horse coming through the stretch," Davis said. "He had to work hard to get to them; that other horse was really running in the stretch."

Davis was able to maneuver the 2.50-to-1 second choice from the outside post to a ground-saving position quickly. "We were able to get around that first turn without losing too much ground," he said. "We had the outside post, and with the race starting on the backstretch so close to the turn, he tucked in good."

Davis sat chilly with the Bill Mott trainee in fifth position through the first mile, before angling outside at the top of the stretch to make the winning move. Aly's Alley, at 21.20-to-1, held on for second by 1 1/4 lengths over the 1.70-to-1 favorite, Honor Glide. Monkey Puzzle was fourth.

Both Michael Dickinson-trained horses in the race-Cetewayo, who was making his first start since May 22, 1999, and Tough Leader (GB)-encountered troubled trips, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.

The United Nations victory was the first Grade 1 win for Deters, a Walton, Kentucky, resident, who owns a share in Runaway Groom and recalls "pulling the horse out of the mother myself," when Down the Aisle was born. He has seven horses currently in training.

"Steve Cauthen is our neighbor, that's our claim to fame," Deters said. "We never put this horse up for sale. We always wanted to race him. We have a two-year-old Theatrical (Ire) half sister to this horse in training and a half sister by Siphon (Brz) in the Fasig-Tipton July sale."

The United Nations was Down the Aisle's second graded stakes victory of the year; he took the Bouganvillea Handicap (G3) at the Hialeah-at-Gulfstream meeting on March 25. His eighth victory in 19 starts netted $210,000, boosting his bankroll to $821,988.

It was the second straight United Nations win for Mott, who won the 1999 running at Monmouth with Yagli. "Bill has done a tremendous job with this horse and it would be contemptuous to try and predict his next start. Bill will do that," Deters said.

Horatia's Matchmaker

Bertrand deBrevedent, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement, spoke via cellular telephone in Monmouth's winner's circle, the conversation changing from English to French several times after Gerald Leigh's Horatia (Ire) won the $100,000 Vinery Matchmaker Stakes (G3) by one length on July 2.

Vinery Matchmaker S. (G3)
Monmouth Park, July 2, $100,000, 11/8 miles, turf, firm, 1:47.52
1-HORATIA (Ire), f. 4, Machiavellian-Ahead (GB), by =Shirley Heights (GB).
2-Camella, m. 5, Housebuster-Have It Out, by Roberto.
3-Champagne Royal, m. 6, Jeblar-Super Me, by Super Concorde.

"Chris is very happy and excited about the win," deBrevedent said. "Mr. Leigh breeds some wonderful horses."

The Matchmaker is another stakes steeped in Atlantic City tradition, with the first 30 runnings held at that track before moving to Monmouth in 1997.

Horatia, by Machiavellian out of Ahead (GB), by Shirley Heights, has never been off the board in her ten starts, split evenly between England and the United States. The four-year old filly was third in the Long Island Handicap (G2) in November and came back from a freshening with back-to-back victories at Gulfstream Park and Suffolk Downs. She just missed catching Dorothy Matz's Camella by a length in the listed Rosenna Stakes at Delaware Park on June 4. "She had to come from much further back (11 lengths) that day," deBrevedent said. "I wasn't worried about her early because the quarter (-mile) and half (-mile) fractions were so strong, that she kept close. And everyone was where they were supposed to be with Champagne Royal on the lead."

Champagne Royal cut the early splits of :23.22 and :48.16 in the Matchmaker while jockey Jose Santos sat eighth on Horatia, well within striking range by the far turn. Santos made his move there by splitting horses and was within 4 1/2 lengths of the lead after a mile in 1:35.58.

"That horse (Champagne Royal) kicked clear by about five, but my horse was running well and I knew I'd get her by the wire," Santos said.

Horatia collared Champagne Royal by the sixteenth pole but still had to fend off a late charge by Camella. Champagne Royal, owned by Daniel Borislow, held off Melody Queen (GB) for third. All three will receive a future breeding season to a stallion at Vinery Kentucky.

Horatia, the 2.10-to-1 second betting choice, covered the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:47.52. The $60,000 winner's share, her fourth win in ten starts, brings Horatia's total earnings to $147,378. The Matchmaker was the second leg of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) series three-year-old and up turf division.

SHORE SHOTS-John Rotella's multiple stakes-winning Say Florida Sandy, trained by Juan Serey, notched his 20th career victory in the $75,000 Shrewsbury Stakes on July 2 over My Jeff's Mombo and Holiday Music. Say Florida Sandy, by Personal Flag out of Lolli Lucka Lolli, by Sweet Candy (Ven), covered six furlongs in 1:10.15 under Joe Bravo. The $45,000 winner's check boosted the six-year-old's career earnings to $942,820. ... Leo Gaspari Racing Stables' Leave It to Beezer scored a one-length victory in the $50,000 Elkwood Stakes on July 1, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.63. Since being claimed in December 22, the Henbane gelding has gone 7-1-2 in ten starts, including a victory in the Baltimore Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) on June 17. Trainer Scott Lake, tied with Dale Baird for most wins in the country (98), said he will nominate the horse to the July 22 Salvator Mile Handicap (G3).