NEWS
Presious Passion eyes repeat win in United Nations
Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 8:18 PM
PRESIOUS PASSION
Coglianese Photos
by Tim Nichols
Grade 1 winner Presious Passion returns to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs on Saturday when he tries for a repeat win the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park.
The 1 3/8-mile turf race drew nine contenders and will serve as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series race for the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on November 7 at Santa Anita Park.
The Royal Anthem gelding won the 2008 edition of the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth by a neck in front-running style. Trained by Mary Hartmann for owner Patricia Generazio, the seven-year-old has won three stakes races on Monmouth’s turf course, including the Monmouth Stakes on June 13 in his most recent start.
Elvis Trujillo, who piloted Presious Passion to wins in the 2008 W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course and this year’s Mac Diarmida (G2) and Monmouth Stakes, gets the return call on Saturday.
Among those slated to face Presious Passion on Saturday include Grade 1 winners Court Vision and Better Talk Now.
Hollywood Derby (G1) winner Court Vision enters off a fourth-place finish in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park on June 6. The four-year-old Gulch colt will attempt to snap a four-race winless skid on Saturday.
Bushwood Stables’ veteran Better Talk Now enters off a third-place finish in the Manhattan for trainer Graham Motion. The ten-year-old, five-time Grade 1 winner will be making the 51st start of his career.
Other contenders include Grade 1 winner Brass Hat and graded stakes winners Strike a Deal, Spice Route (GB), Lauro (Ger), and Wesley.
Also on tap at Monmouth is the $250,000 Salvator Mile Handicap (G3) at one mile on the main track. The winner will earn a starting spot in the $1-million TVG Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on November 7 at Santa Anita as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.
Multiple graded stakes winner Smooth Air will make his first start for trainer Chad Brown in the Salvator Mile after spending his entire career in Bennie Stutts Jr.’s barn.
Trainer Larry Jones’s Solar Flare (Arg) will gun for his first graded stakes win off a visually impressive nine-length romp in the Frisk Me Now Stakes on May 24 at Monmouth.
Etisalat Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2) winner Two Step Salsa, multiple Grade 3 winner Kiss the Kid, Argentine Group 1 winner Runforthedoe (Brz), stakes winners Coal Play and Keep Laughing, and trainer Todd Pletcher’s Grade 2-placed winner The Roundhouse round out the field.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for THOROUGHBRED TIMES
Salvator Mile H.
For Equibase entires of Saturday's Monmouth card, click here.
July 04, $250,000, 3yo & up, 1M, Monmouth Park, 4:50 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Runforthedoe (BRZ) 4, c. |
Our Emblem |
117 |
Richard Migliore |
Paulo Lobo |
| 2 |
Smooth Air 4, c. |
Smooth Jazz |
121 |
Paco Lopez |
Chad Brown |
| 3 |
Solar Flare (ARG) 5, h. |
Salt Lake |
119 |
Gabriel Saez |
J. Jones |
| 4 |
Kiss the Kid 6, h. |
Lemon Drop Kid |
121 |
Channing Hill |
Amy Tarrant |
| 5 |
Coal Play 4, c. |
Mineshaft |
117 |
Joe Bravo |
Nicholas Zito |
| 6 |
Two Step Salsa 4, c. |
Petionville |
121 |
Garrett Gomez |
Saeed bin Suroor |
| 7 |
Keep Laughing 4, c. |
Distorted Humor |
117 |
Eddie Castro |
Kiaran McLaughlin |
| 8 |
The Roundhouse 4, c. |
Fusaichi Pegasus |
117 |
Christopher DeCarlo |
Todd Pletcher |
July 04, $750,000, 3yo & up, 1 3/8M, Monmouth Park, 5:20 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Banrock 6, g. |
Go for Gin |
118 |
Joe Bravo |
Thomas Bush |
| 2 |
Strike a Deal 5, h. |
Smart Strike |
118 |
Charles Lopez |
Alan Goldberg |
| 3 |
Brass Hat 8, g. |
Prized |
118 |
Stewart Elliott |
William Bradley |
| 4 |
Spice Route (GB) 5, g. |
King's Best |
120 |
Eddie Castro |
Roger Attfield |
| 5 |
Court Vision 4, c. |
Gulch |
122 |
Garrett Gomez |
William Mott |
| 6 |
Lauro (GER) 6, h. |
Monsun (GER) |
118 |
Jorge Chavez |
Andreas Wohler |
| 7 |
Presious Passion 6, g. |
Royal Anthem |
120 |
Elvis Trujillo |
Mary Hartmann |
| 8 |
Wesley 4, c. |
El Prado (IRE) |
118 |
Richard Migliore |
Mark Hennig |
| 9 |
Better Talk Now 10, g. |
Talkin Man |
118 |
Jeremy Rose |
H. Motion |
