Main Sequence, the winner of the 2014 edition of the United Nations (G1), tops the field as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 for trainer Graham Motion. Bred and owned by Flaxman Holdings, the six-year-old gelded son of Aldebaran is undefeated from five starts in the United States and won the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) last year on his way to the year-end championship. He was last seen finishing seventh in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) and will have Rajiv Maragh aboard from post six.
Second choice at 7-2 on the morning line is Big Blue Kitten for trainer Chad Brown. Bred and owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the seven-year-old ridgling son of Kitten’s Joy won the United Nations (G1) in 2013 and is a twelve-time career winner. He was last seen finishing second as the favorite in the Manhattan (G1) and will be trying to earn his second win of the year. Joe Bravo will be back aboard and they will break from post position three.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 9-2 is Twilight Eclipse for trainer Tom Albertrani. A six-year-old son of Purim, he is a seven-time winner and had a breakthrough victory two starts back in the Man O’ War (G1) at Belmont Park. He was seventh last time out in the Manhattan (G1) and will try to rebound and return to form. Paco Lopez will be aboard for the first time and they are scheduled to break from the inside post.
The field is set for the $1 million Haskell, where Nyquist will be trying to re-stake his claim as the top three-year-old in the country.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $300,000 United Nations Stakes. Scheduled to be run at a mile and three-eighths on the turf, the Grade 1 event has drawn a field of ten colts and geldings.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes, a key prep race for the Haskell Invitational (G1). The Grade 3 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth and has drawn a field of seven three-year-olds.
With five grade 1 races and a grade 2, the undercard for the June 11 Belmont stakes could be the best single day of racing on the calendar outside of the Breeders’ Cup.
Leave a comment