United eyeing trip to Keeneland in July

United, the narrow winner of Saturday’s Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita, could be sent to Keeneland twice in the second half of this year.

Trainer Richard Mandella has the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland in November as a long-range goal for United. Mandella said Sunday that the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes, tentatively scheduled for July 12 at Keeneland, is a possibility for an early summer race.

“I might look at Keeneland in July,” Mandella said.

Keeneland has proposed conducting a brief race meeting in July to run several major stakes that are typically held at the track’s spring meeting, which was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Mandella said United may have three races before the BC Turf, with the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf in August as another option.

Mandella said the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf on June 21 at Santa Anita is not likely.

“I don’t think it would be a good thing,” he said.

United won the Whittingham Stakes by a nose over Rockemperor, who was disqualified and placed third for bumping with third-place finisher Originaire in the stretch. The Whittingham Stakes was United’s first start since a win in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes on Feb. 2 at Santa Anita.

Owned by Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth, United was sent to the United Arab Emirates for the Group 1 Sheema Classic on March 28, a race canceled six days earlier because of the coronavirus outbreak. United was quickly sent back to Mandella’s stable at Santa Anita.

The Whittingham was United’s comeback race in the United States. United led by a length with a furlong remaining and was fully extended to hold off Rockemperor.

“It almost caught up with him,” Mandella said. “For a horse that went to Dubai and didn’t get to run, I thought he ran really well.”