Senure first in U.N. Handicap

OCEANPORT, N.J. - In the Grade 1 $500,000 United Nations Handicap, the Bobby Frankel-trained Senure was second to the wire, but placed first due to interference by With Anticipation, the first to cross the wire by a head before a crowd of 12,540. The win gave Frankel and owner Juddmonte Farms their second Grade 1 win on the day, both by disqualifications. Aptitude was placed first in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup for the trainer-owner combination.

Senure, the 1.30-1 favorite ridden by Robbie Davis, seemed primed to pass With Anticipation and jockey Jon Court down the lane, when the frontrunner veered out slightly, causing Davis to pull back his horse and lose momentum. Davis regrouped Senure for a second try and came again, but could not pass the Jonathan Sheppard-trained With Anticipation. A stewards' inquiry was posted, and then an objection by Davis.

The final time of the 1 3/8-mile turf race was 2:13.56, a course record. Senure paid $4.60 to win and topped the $21.60 exacta. Gritty Sandie was three lengths back in third.

"The other horse [With Anticipation] drifted into us pretty good and I lost all momentum," said Davis. "It was a legitimate claim of foul, and I was surprised to see the stewards didn't look at it right away. He drifted right in front of me and I almost ran right up into his tail."

With the top East Coast turfers sitting out of the U.N., Senure shipped in from California, and lodged his stake to the top of the country's turf division. He was second last time out versus the nation's top turf horse, Bienamado, in the Grade 1 Whittingham Handicap at Hollywood Park. He has four wins in six starts in the United States, after moving here from Great Britain. Senure is a 5-year-old son of Nureyev out of Diese.

North East Bound, second in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Mile, set the modest pace from the first post in the eight-horse field, as the second choice With Anticipation sat right near the pace throughout. Senure, who broke from post 7, ran comfortably near the back of the pack, running in sixth through the backstretch. Turning for home, Senure kicked into another gear and loomed three-wide on the frontrunners. North East Bound, stretching out for the race, ran gamely but faded on the rail down the stretch, as Senure came right up on With Anticipation. The interference occurred then, as With Anticipation drifted out and stopped the momentum of Senure.

"I didn't interfere with him," said With Anticipation's jockey, Jon Court. "I never felt him touch me. I was just trying to find the best part of the turf course."

Despite the outcome, With Anticipation is one to watch in the future on the grass. The U.N. was only his third race on the turf, and he has been the first to the wire in all three.

Bobby Frankel, unable to watch the race from Hollywood Park, stated on CBS, in which both races were televised, "This is an unbelievable, exciting day. I was disappointed, but then boom, boom, I got put up."

The United Nations is one of Monmouth's two Grade 1 races. It was the 48th running of the race, which was moved here from Atlantic City in 1999.