Monmouth: United Nations gets seven horses, led by Turbo Compressor

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Turbo Compressor, fresh from a front-running victory in the Colonial Turf Cup, heads the field for the $500,000 United Nations Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The U.N. at 1 3/8 miles on turf is the featured event on the card that also includes the Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth Cup at one mile on the main track.

The U.N. and Haskell Invitational for 3-year-olds are the two Grade 1 events at Monmouth.

Air Support, Al Khali, Brilliant Speed, Eldaafer, Freud’s Honour, and Slim Shadey complete the seven-horse field.

A 4-year-old, Turbo Compressor has blossomed since switching to grass for his last three starts.

He won first time out on turf in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. After an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, Turbo Compressor headed to Virginia for the Colonial Turf Cup.

He is trained by Todd Pletcher, a three-time U.N. winner with Balto Star (2003) and English Channel (2006-07).

This will be Turbo Compressor’s third appearance at Monmouth but first on the turf course. He was a first-level allowance winner here last year before running third in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes.

Joe Bravo, the pilot in the Colonial Turf Cup, has a return call.

Three runners are looking to improve on second-place finishes in their latest efforts.

Air Support was the runner-up to Turbo Compressor in the Colonial Turf Cup while Slim Shadey ran second in the Grade 1 Charlie Whittingham at Betfair Hollywood Park last time out.

Eldaafer, sixth in the U.N. last year, got the place spot in the 1 1/2-mile Brooklyn Handicap on the main track at Belmont Park in his last start. He captured the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

Brilliant Speed, last year’s Blue Grass winner, was fifth in the Manhattan Handicap on the Belmont Stakes undercard, one spot better than Al Khali.

Freud’s Honour, a New Jersey-bred, was fourth in his lone start of the season in a Monmouth allowance race.

◗ Flat Out, last year’s Suburban Handicap and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, debuts for trainer Bill Mott in the Monmouth Cup.

He has not run since a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in February.

Pletcher will send out Rule and San Pablo in the race formerly known as the Meadowlands Cup.

Cactus Charlie, Ponzi Scheme and Sloane Ranger, winner of the Don LeVine Memorial at Parx Racing, complete the field.