Aquaphobia find United Nations distance to his liking

All Aquaphobia needed was a chance to stretch his legs in a turf marathon.

After winning a minor stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park in February and losing his next three starts in stakes, Aquaphobia won his third stakes, and first Grade 1, in Saturday’s $315,000 United Nations Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Monmouth Park.

Aquaphobia ($23.40) had an ideal trip under jockey Joe Bravo to win the United Nations, one of the nation’s leading turf marathons of the summer.

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Bravo had Aquaphobia positioned in third for the first mile behind pacesetter Paret, who set a predictably slow pace of 48.90 for a half-mile and 1:14.41 for the first six furlongs.

Aquaphobia raced on the inside to the turn. Entering the stretch, Bravo moved the gelding between 10-1 Paret and 6-1 Corelli to take the lead in the final sixteenth.

“Joe Bravo rode him beautifully,” winning trainer Mike Maker told Monmouth Park publicity.

“We had a lot of confidence in the horse coming in and he didn’t let us down. We felt this horse was better than we were getting out of him. I think the distance was the reason.”

Aquaphobia was timed in 2:12.63 and finished a length in front of Paret. Corelli finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths. Aquaphobia earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 102.

Arklow, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth. A four-time stakes winner, Arklow was last with a half-mile remaining and closed with a four-wide move to finish 5 1/4 lengths behind Aquaphobia.

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Muggsamatic finished fifth, followed by Current, Standard Deviation, Eve’s Medal, and O Dionysus.

The winner’s share of the purse was $180,000, far above the $62,500 claiming price that owners Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Hooties Racing paid in January for Aquaphobia. They were joined in ownership by Skychai Racing in the spring.

Aquaphobia, a 7-year-old horse by Giant’s Causeway, has earned $250,596 since being claimed. In his career, Aquaphobia has won 9 of 36 starts and earned $647,361.

Earlier this year, Aquaphobia won the Old Man Eloquent Stakes at Gulfstream Park in his first start after the claim. He was later fourth in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Fair Grounds on March 21, second in the Sunshine Forever Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park on March 9, and fourth in the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Churchill Downs on June 20 before Saturday’s win.