Uni Defeats Males in Breeders' Cup Mile
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Uni wins the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park
Uni entered the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park with victories in six of her past seven starts, and her lone defeat came against males in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) in August at Saratoga Race Course.
A second crack at the boys proved a different story for the 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready .
In deep stretch, Uni powered past another female, Got Stormy, to score a 1 1/2-length victory in the $2 million Mile for owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Bethlehem Stables. Uni also turned the tables on Fourstardave winner Got Stormy, who held second for a female exacta.
Co-owner Sol Kumin credited a top ride by Joel Rosario after starting from an outside post.
"We were really worried about the lack of pace, and (Rosario) did a perfect job, trying to get her over, saving a little bit of ground in the first turn," Kumin said. "I thought he got her going at the perfect time, and the other filly ran unbelievably, Got Stormy.
"And to watch those two fillies throw down in a race like this, it's one of the ones you'll remember."
Uni is the seventh female to win the Mile, joining Tepin, three-time winner Goldikova, Six Perfections, Ridgewood Pearl, two-time winner Miesque, and Royal Heroine. She is trained by Chad Brown, who got his second Breeders' Cup win of 2019 after sending out Structor to victory in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T). Brown, who has 14 Breeders' Cup wins, also sent out Without Parole to a third-place finish in the Mile.
Brown said Rosario, who also won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) aboard Covfefe, is a perfect fit for Uni.
"Obviously, he's a world-class jockey and has won a lot of races, but the relationship between him and this horse is about as strong as you can get," Brown said.
Early in the Mile, longshots Hey Gaman and El Tormenta led the field of 13 through a half-mile in :45.32, with Got Stormy in midpack and Uni a bit farther back. Coming off the final turn, Got Stormy launched a four-wide move to the front, only to be quickly joined by Uni, who was moving five wide.
The two ran as a team to inside the sixteenth pole, where Uni powered away. Brown said Rosario did a great job early in finding position for Uni.
Sol Kumin (right) and connections walk Uni to the winner's circle
"Joel did exactly what we planned, which was to break as well as you can and let her find herself in the first turn," Brown said. "Luckily, Without Parole moved to the rail for us, and we were in the two path and sort of raced as a team down the backside. I just loved where my spot was."
Rosario said the top two finishers gave it all late.
"I asked her at the three-eighths pole, and she gave me a strong run. That's when I knew we would win," Rosario said. "But when we got alongside of (Got Stormy), she fought back a little. For a minute, I thought, 'Uh-oh' because she's a very nice filly who beat us this summer. But my filly still had more left, and we pulled clear of her in the last sixteenth."
Mark Casse, trainer of Got Stormy, said his 4-year-old Get Stormy filly had some difficulties in the first turn but delivered a top effort.
"I'm proud of her," Casse said after just missing winning the Mile a third time. "She's turned out to be a hell of a filly."
Casse won the Mile in 2017 with World Approval and in 2015 with Tepin.
Bred in England by Haras D'Etreham, Uni is the first winner out of the unplaced Dansili mare Unaided. She was purchased for $44,436 by The Channel Consignment from the breeder's consignment at the 2015 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.