Uni looks strong in winning Noble Damsel

ELMONT, N.Y. - When Uni had to scratch out of a Grade 1 race in May due to illness, it forced her connections to re-design the second half of her campaign with the hopes of returning to a major race later in the year.

On Saturday, Uni put forth the kind of effort that likely earned her a shot at a Grade 1 as she toyed with three rivals in winning the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park.

Uni, who was hardly asked to run by Joel Rosario in the stretch, won for the third time in as many races this year. After winning the Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct in April, Uni missed the Grade 1 Gamely at Santa Anita in May due to a temperature after she had shipped cross-country. She has come back with wins in the De La Rose at Saratoga and Noble Damsel.

“It really was unfortunate, she was trying to win her first Grade 1 when we sent her to the Gamely,” trainer Chad Brown said. “We got her well and right back in form.”

Uni’s victory was the fourth straight win on the 10-race Belmont card for Brown, who watched most of the proceedings from Parx, where he was to run horses in the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion, that track’s two marquee races.

He won the opener with Junkanoo ($15), the second with Favorable Outcome ($5), and the third with Course Correction ($6.10). The latter two are both owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables.

“Very proud of my team and this diverse group of horses that were all able to win their races,” Brown said by phone from Parx.

“We had them in the right spots and my team did a great job. I don’t think we’ve won four in a row before. Great way to start the day off.”

Brown’s streak was snapped in race 5 when High Conviction finished seventh in a maiden $25,000 claiming race.

The Nobel Damsel scratched from a six-horse field to four as the connections of Lift Up and Mythical Mission opted to run in the $150,000 All Along at Laurel.

Uni, under Joel Rosario, was last of four, but only four lengths off the pace established by Hawksmoor and pursued by Thundering Sky.

Uni advanced into contention along the inside, then tipped into the three path turning for home. Thundering Sky took a brief lead from Hawksmoor, but with minimal urging from Rosario Uni blew past Thundering Sky and galloped home an easy winner. Hawksmoor came back on to edge Thundering Sky by a neck for second. Dream Awhile, also trained by Brown, raced a bit rank early and finished last of four.

“She couldn’t handle the soft turf,” Brown said. “I was afraid that could happen.”

Uni, a Great Britain-bred daughter of More Than Ready owned by Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains, Robert LaPenta and Michael Caruso’s Bethlehem Stables, covered the mile in 1:36.11 over a turf course labeled good and returned $4.50 as the favorite.

“I didn’t want to let the two horses get too far in front of me, she’s nice, she puts you in a good spot,” Rosario said. “Turning for home it looked like it was only her in the race, I was a passenger turning for home. She was moving beautifully and I just let her be comfortable.”

Brown said he would like to point Uni to the Grade 1 Matriarch, typically run in late November at Del Mar. Brown won that race last year with Off Limits.