Trip Notes for June 22-23, 2019: United Nations, Ohio Derby, and more

June 22

Monmouth
Eatontown (race 7)

COMMENT: After several days of rain the turf course was listed as good. Valedictorian found Grade 2 waters a bit too deep last time out in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4, but the daughter of Temple City was freshened, got a bit of class relief, returned to a course she loves and got back on track with a nice win. A winner now of four of five on this course, she bobbled a bit at the break from her rail slot, sat second pressuring pacesetter Conquest Hardcandy while racing inside, well clear of the rest of the field, moved off the fence to go outside the pacesetter, took command from that rival on the far turn as the rest of the field closed in, blew the race open with a big run into the stretch to put the race to bed, winning easily despite the fact a couple rivals closed the gap in the final furlong. The Grade 3 Matchmaker here July 20 on the Haskell undercard could be next. Maid to Remember, a stakes winner in England and a rallying second in an allowance race at Churchill in her U.S. debut May 25, broke a big slowly, lagged well back, started to advance while wide on the far turn, pitched wider still in the lane and finished well for second, though she was never a danger to the winner. Inflexibility, part of the Chad Brown turf distaff armada though likely part of the second or third tier coming off a sixth in the Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard May 18, her first start of this year, was a bit slow into stride, moved closer going down the backstretch to the far turn, tried to make a run at the winner turning for home proved no match for that rival and kept to her task decently only to get edged for second. My Sistersledge, who rallied to be a better-than-looked sixth in a stakes here May 26 when beaten by just two lengths in her first start of the year, stalked while just off the inside, advanced some on the far turn between horses but was unable to make a dent.

Monmouth
Philip Iselin (race 10)

COMMENT: Main track listed as fast. Monongahela last won in December 2017 but has been knocking on the door ever since with a number of stakes placings. The 5-year-old gelded son of K One King broke through and got that elusive next win here. From his far outside post he broke well, dogged early pacesetter and favorite Diamond King through solid splits to his outside, hounded that rival to the lane, quickly assumed command, drew off and didn’t have a nervous moment thereafter. The slightly longer, 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Monmouth Cup here on Haskell day July 20 may be next. Bal Harbour who had a brutally bad start in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile here May 25 but still ran on well for third, stalked a couple lengths off the pace while saving ground, remained there down the backstretch and on the far turn, came out into the lane and finished well for second, though he was never a threat to the winner. The Monmouth Cup figures on his radar as well. Diamond King, favored a sharp second in the Salvator Mile, went right to the lead, set a solid pace under pressure from Monongahela, battled back when hooked by that foe to his outside on the far turn, proved no match for that rival and then ran on evenly for the show. Runnin’toluvya, the king of Charles Town where he won 13 of 17 including his last 10 coming into this, was unable to be as effective away from his home turf as he stalked the pace, was urged to get more involved on the far turn but was unable to do so and in fact gave way in the lane. Just Call Kenny, big winner of this race last August but winless since, was away slowly to be last early and remained there throughout, not looking anything like the guy who won this last summer.

Monmouth
United Nations (race 11)

COMMENT: The turf remained listed as good. Hunter O’Riley was no match for Zulu Alpha and Bigger Pictures in his three starts this year but a freshening and change of venue did the trick for the 6-year-old gelded son of Tiz Wonderful as he notched his first Grade 1 win. He was well back from the start, as is his wont, remained well back as Arrocha set a slow pace, pitched wide into the lane and finished with a flourish to get up in the final strides. The Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga July 27 might be next. He won that race in 2017 at 16-1. This was his first win since. Zulu Alpha, a Grade 2/3 winner at Gulfstream earlier this year but coming off a dull seventh in the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont May 11, didn’t face that kind of power here and got back on track as the son of Street Cry stalked in fourth, came with a smart run to grab the lead by midstretch, looked poised for the victory as he raced toward the inside but just couldn’t quite fend off the winner’s charge to his outside. The Bowling Green could be on his radar as well. Channel Cat, favored off a respectable fifth to top turfer Bricks and Mortar in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont June 8, sat back just in front of the eventual winner, moved early to be abreast of Zulu Alpha turning for home, continued on well on that rival’s hip to his outside but was unable to finish with the winner to his outside and unable to quite get to Zulu Alpha to his inside, setting for third. Bigger Picture, trying this race for the fourth time and winner of this in 2017, sat mipdack while saving ground, came with a threatening run between horses into the lane but couldn’t sustain his run. Focus Group, winner of the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream March 30 but only sixth in the Man o’ War, was trying to give top trainer Chad Brown a fourth win in this race but the son of Kitten’s Joy was a bit disappointing as he sat last from the start, remained there to the top of the lane, pitched wide but could make only modest headway while unable to threaten.

Thistledown
Ohio Derby (race 9)

COMMENT: Race complexion changed when Global Campaign, who would have been one of the favorites, scratched (foot issue). He previously won the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont, defeating eventual Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston. Should all go well he’ll reportedly target the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont July 6. Owendale showed he’s indeed on the right track as after a big win in the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland April 13 and big second in the Grade 1 Preakness at Pimlico May 18 he was a game winner here. The $200,000 son of Into Mischief was away slowly to sit last early as longshot Dare Day set a modest pace, started to advance on the far turn, split horses into the lane as he made his run, engaged leader Math Wizard in midstretch while inside that rival and gamely outdueled him to the line. This may earn him another crack at deeper waters for say something like the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth July 20. Math Wizard, a son of Algorithms who was claimed for $25,000 at Gulfstream Jan. 31, can now count himself as a Grade 3-placed runner as from the rail, with blinkers off, he bided his time early just in front of the eventual winner though he wasn’t far off the pace, moved earlier than that rival to pressure pacesetter Dare Day turning for home, came through between horses to grab the lead turning for home, was soon confronted by Owendale to his inside and battled gamely to the line to be a good second in what was basically a two-horse race in the lane. Long Range Toddy, freshened since being significantly hindered coming into the stretch in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby to end up 17th (moved up to 16th via disqualification), sat fourth from the start, ahead of the eventual one-two finishes, tried to go with those two rivals when it mattered into the lane but couldn’t keep up, though he finished far clear of the others. Bethlehem Road, stepping up in class after winning his first three starts at Parx, pressed pacesetter Dare Day from the start, was still in the hunt turning for home but weakened in the lane.

Santa Anita
Wilshire (race 8)

COMMENT: Simply Breathless had done plenty of good work in England including wins over males. She came to the U.S. this year and made a nice splash first time out, winning a turf stakes at Golden Gate April 27, not only her first start in the U.S. but her first action of any kind in seven months. Given a tougher task here she passed with flying colors as the daughter of Bated Breath blasted home to win going away. She bided her time toward the back between horses as Ippodamia’s Girl set a solid pace under pressure from Achira, remained toward the back to the far turn while moving toward the inside to save ground, swung out for room into the stretch, leveled off and powered home to grab the lead late and quickly draw clear. Off this she may deserve a crack at the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar Aug. 3 at 1 1/16 miles, though top SoCal turf distaffer Vasilika is reportedly targeting that race as well. Ollie’s Candy, a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1/2 placed last summer before a layoff of nine months, came back to be seventh in the Grade 1 Gamely here May 27. She obviously needed that outing and got what she needed out of it as she moved forward here, sitting midpack from the start while saving ground from her rail post, moved up eagerly inside into the lane, took a brief lead inside the eighth pole but couldn’t counter the winner’s charge while staying on gamely for second. The Yellow Ribbon figures on her radar as well. Storm the Hill, the defending champ who was making her first start since winning the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy down the hill here Nov. 3, stalked in third, put down her challenge in the lane, was right in the thick of it to inside the eighth only to have the winner blow past and then couldn’t quite counter the runner-up. Meal Ticket, a respectable fifth in the Gamely beaten by just 2 3/4 lengths, didn’t repeat that run as she hopped at the start to get away poorly, remained at the back of the pack and never mustered a run.

June 23

Santa Anita
American (race 5)

COMMENT: Race complexion changed when River Boyne, who might have been the favorite, was scratched (sent to the farm to be freshened). Majestic Eagle hadn’t won in over 11 months when last taking an optional claimer on turf at Del Mar but he wasn’t disgraced when a close fourth in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here last fall. He moved back to turf and routing after being a non-threat fifth in the Grade 2 Triple Bend at 7 furlongs on dirt here May 25 and that did the trick as the son of Medaglia d’Oro notched his first stakes win. From his outside slot he sat back early as outsider Snazzy Dresser set a solid pace, remained in fifth while wide on the far turn, remained wide coming into the lane while still well back and surged late to get up in the final strides widest of the three in the three-horse blanket finish. Off this something like the Grade 2 Eddie Read at Del Mar July 21 could be next. Law Abidin Citizen, likewise back to turf after finishing seventh in the Triple Bend, stalked the pace between horses, angled to the inside turning for home, came with a challenge into the lane while staying inside, grabbed a short lead between calls in deep stretch but just couldn’t quite fend off the winner. Sharp Samurai, the heavy 1-2 favorite off a solid fourth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile here May 27, his first start in seven months, stalked in fourth, loomed a big threat into the lane and stayed on well to be part of the blanket finish. He just wasn’t quite good enough. Both the runner-up and third-finisher could also target the Eddie Read. Bombard, the 7-2 second choice in his first start since finishing a rallying second in the Wickerr at Del Mar 11 months ago, stalked pacesetter Snazzy Dancer from the start, was still in the hunt to midstretch but then flattened out. Maybe he needed this race. If that’s the case then the Eddie Read could be on his radar as well.

Santa Anita
San Juan Capistrano (race 8)

COMMENT: Acclimate used his speed to lead all the way to beat optional claimers going much shorter (1 1/8 miles) here May 31. Well, his speed proved as lethal going this much longer trip as the son of champion Acclamation led all the way and gamely prevailed. He popped right out to a clear lead, set some fast fractions for the distance, remained well clear of the others to midstretch and then, despite tiring after those heady fractions, gamely got to the line before a hard-trying Oscar Dominguez. Others could have had him as he was eligible to be claimed for $20,000 last September and $25,000 last October. This could earn him a shot at the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles Aug. 17. Oscar Dominguez, coming off a game win over optional claimers here May 25, bided his time early, advanced going to the far turn, still had plenty of ground to make up on the winner into the lane but finished resolutely only to run out of ground. Red King raced just ahead of Oscar Dominguez from the start, didn’t accelerate as early or as strongly as that foe but got going decently in the lane to plug along for third, though he was never really a danger to the top two. Causeforcommotion, a mare who was favored coming off an eighth in the Grade 1 Gamely here May 27 but prior to that a smashing nine-length winner in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara at 1 1/2 miles here May 11, sat second from the start stalking the eventual winner, tried to make a run at that rival on the turn but was unable to keep up and then tired in the lane.