Presious Passion all alone in U.N. repeat
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Jump to Race Entries/Results OCEANPORT, N.J. - Presious Passion got a warm round of applause from the crowd of 15,210 Saturday at Monmouth Park as he returned bucking and kicking to the winner's circle following a record-smashing victory in the Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Stakes.
The U.N. was a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In race, assuring Presious Passion a spot in this year's BC Turf. There will certainly be pace in that race, if Presious Passion makes the trip to Santa Anita.
The fact that the 6-year-old Presious Passion scored a repeat win in the richest grass race in New Jersey was a notable accomplishment. The way he won this time was stunning.
As usual, Presious Passion ($7.40) had things his own way in the early stages. The confirmed front-runner discouraged early challengers by setting a blazing pace, opening up a staggering 20-length lead past the stands the first time. And he was moving, hitting the half-mile in 45.20 seconds, a swift pace for a 1 3/8-mile marathon.
"He was going fast," said jockey Elvis Trujillo. "Turning for home, I didn't see anybody coming. In deep stretch, when horses started to get closer, he just dug in more."
To the dismay of his rivals, Presious Passion never stopped. He finished the mission in 2:10.97, crushing the old stakes record of 2:12.89 set by English Channel in 2007.
"It was a super performance," said trainer Mary Hartmann. "It's better than anything he's done so far. I'm just thrilled and Elvis rides him great."
Lauro closed ground in the stretch, cutting the final margin to two lengths. Brass Hat got third, followed by Spice Route, Banrock, Court Vision, the 9-5 favorite; Strike a Deal, and Wesley.
Better Talk Now was an early scratch after injuring a splint bone in a hind leg. The 10-year-old Better Talk Now won this race in 2005.
