Uni Skips Free Berth to Battle Males in BC Mile

Uni is competing in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, although not in the prescribed manner.

The 5-year-old More Than Ready  mare earned a free berth into the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) off her spectacular come-from-behind victory in the Oct. 5 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) at Keeneland. But her past seven races have come over a flat mile, and the Filly & Mare Turf is run over 10 furlongs. And when superstar turf trainer Chad Brown determines one of his charges is better at one trip than another, owners listen.

So Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners, Haras D'Etreham, and Bethlehem Stables decided to face open company in the Nov. 2 TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita Park, and ponied up a $100,000 late nomination for Uni to become Breeders' Cup eligible as a Horse of Racing Age

Uni, bred by Haras D'Etreham in Great Britain, began her career at 2 in France, finishing second in a pair of maiden contests. She broke her maiden in her first start at 3 and won the listed Prix Matchem that May. Kumin purchased 50% of Uni, which he split with Dubb. Eventually, they bought out the remaining half of the filly and brought in Robert LaPenta.

Moved to the U.S. in the summer of 2017, Uni backed up her stakes win in France with a good third behind stars New Money Honey and Sistercharlie in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). Two starts later, she won the Sands Point Stakes (G2T). Last year at 4, she really hit her stride, going undefeated in four races—all stakes—including the Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) and the Matriarch Stakes (G1T). Her only defeat in three tries this year was in open company in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T), in which she finished third of 10. She has banked $1,247,880.

For the past two seasons, Uni has been kept to eight furlongs and has found her style in coming from off the pace.

"It wasn't a tough decision going to the Mile, even though we know it's going to be a tougher race than the First Lady," Brown noted. "Yes, it's facing males again, but that's really her distance. She's in great form, and I think she fits in the race. She's got an incredible turn of foot, has gotten better with age, and is really on top of her game right now. 

"She settles into her races and adjusts to the pace pretty well. There have been some strong pace scenarios in her races, so she's fallen out the back a bit, but she's really adaptable."

Uni is doing so well that she has forced the hands of her connections as far as running in the Breeders' Cup. In the First Lady, Uni came from 11 lengths off the pace, stormed to the front, and won by 2 1/2 lengths.

"Before that race, the plan was to maybe run back in the Matriarch or just give her the rest of the year off and bring her back next year," Kumin said. "But she ran so big in the First Lady that we all looked at each other and said, 'We have to take a shot,' even though it's against the boys and it will be a tough field. 

"There wasn't a lot of discussion about paying the supplement to enter. When you have a performance like that, you just fork over the money. These Breeders' Cup races are so hard to win. It's one thing to get a horse there, but another when you feel you have a real chance to win if you fire in your race. And we feel she has one of those chances."

The winner of the Fourstardave was the filly Got Stormy, who will also line up in the Mile. From 35 runnings, the Mile has seen nine victories by six different fillies. Uni had to alter paths in the stretch of the Fourstardave and if not for that may have filled out an all-female exacta with clear sailing.

"Got Stormy was extremely impressive that day," Kumin said. "If she runs back to that race, she can win. And if Uni runs back to the First Lady, she can win."

All options are still on the table for Uni, depending on how she does in the Mile. She could still defend her Matriarch title or receive a rest. A victory in the Mile would certainly put her in the conversation for champion turf mare, depending on Sistercharlie's performance in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).