Side Glance far outside among 10 in United Nations

The fields for Sunday’s stakes at Monmouth Park grew markedly when entries were taken Thursday with the Grade 1, $500,000 United Nations attracting a field of 10 and the Salvator Mile busting at the seams with 12 entrants.

World traveler Side Glance, who is based in England with trainer Andrew Balding, is still the horse to beat in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations but his task was complicated at entry time when he drew the outside post position for the three-turn turf race. In 11 starts since the beginning of 2013, Side Glance has raced in Britain, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia, and the United States. A 7-year-old with 8 wins from 35 starts and $2.4 million in earnings, he finished third in last year’s Arlington Million.

His principal challengers Sunday include Charming Kitten, winner of the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup; Twilight Eclipse, winner of the Mac Diarmida and McKnight Handicap this past winter in Florida; and Kaigun, runner-up in the Maker’s 46 Mile and Manhattan in his last three starts.

[United Nations Stakes: Get PPs, watch Sunday's card live]

Other contenders include Ghurair, an optional claiming winner in his second U.S. start for Chad Brown; Main Sequence, a 5-year-old British import making his U.S. debut for Graham Motion; and Lochte, winner of the Grade 1 Gulfstream Turf Handicap in February.

Itsmyluckyday tops Salvator Mile

The field of 12 entered for the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile could shrink a bit by race time.

David Jacobson has cross-entered Spa City Fever in both Friday’s $75,000 Elkwood Stakes at Monmouth – he will only run there is the race comes off the turf – and Saturday’s $50,000 Carl Hanford Memorial at Delaware Park. Stormin Monarcho, also trained by Jacobson, is cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban at Belmont.

Big Screen has been cross-entered by trainer Tom Albertrani in Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship, and Dawly has been cross-entered in Friday’s $10,000 Forbidden Apple on turf at Belmont Park by Rudy Rodriguez.

Itsmyluckyday, who is three starts into his comeback after being injured in last summer’s Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth, comes into the Salvator Mile off two minor stakes wins. He will be facing tougher here but last year’s Preakness runner-up is the likely favorite.

Other top contenders in the Salvator Mile are Valid, who was beaten by a nose in the $200,000 Mountainview at Penn National last out; Sailor’s Revenge, a close third in the Mountainview; and Bradester, winner of the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Ground in February.