Chinchon goes from last to first in U.N.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Talk about an international moment.

Chinchon, a horse bred in Ireland and raced primarily in France, flew through the lane Saturday to win the Grade 1, $750,000 , capping the weekend that celebrates America's birthday at Monmouth Park.

This was one of the deepest recent editions of the U.N. with a field that contained five Grade 1 winners. Now there is a sixth, as Chinchon joined that select company with a breath-taking rally from last in the nine-horse field with Garrett Gomez aboard.

He also earned a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, because the U.N. was a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" stakes. Chinchon beat Take the Points by 1 1/2 lengths with Winchester third.

"He's a beautiful horse that traveled very well," Gomez said. "The pace didn't seem to be what we thought. I was able to save ground on both turns, even though I was last."

The pace was moderate as Straight Story broke on top but soon yielded to Get Serious and Acclamation. They raced in tandem through fractions of 23.37 seconds, 47.62, and 1:12.71 over the fast and firm course.

Get Serious was still in front turning for home, but the pack was quickly closing in with Chinchon gearing up widest and quickest of all.

"The fractions weren't all the fast but I didn't have that much ground to make up," Gomez said. "I had a live horse turning for home. He was doing everything with ease. I was trying to avoid wheeling out so wide. I went ahead and did it anyway. He came home unbelievably."

The time was 2:11.77 for 1 3/8 miles.

Chinchon ($9.60) improved to 5 for 19 in his second visit to the U.S. He ran fourth last summer in the Man o' War at Belmont Park before returning to France.

The 5-year-old will now get a break, said Carlos Laffon-Parias who trains Chinchon for Darpat S.L. Stables.

"I was quite slow today and I was a little bit afraid," Laffon-Parias said. "The last two furlongs, he was quite impressive. He has run four times this year and the ground today is quite firm and it's very hot. He'll come back in the last three months of the year."

Take the Points also launched a strong late run but proved no match for the winner.

"In the stretch, he delivered a good kick," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "Unfortunately, there was one with a little better kick."