Uni Defends Her Title in First Lady Stakes

Back in the same race and at the site of her course record-setting performance a year ago at Keeneland, Uni found herself back in the winner's circle.

The 6-year-old More Than Ready  mare rounded brilliantly back to form Oct. 3 as she captured the $343,000 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK Healthcare (G1T) over Beau Recall and Newspaperofrecord at the Lexington track.

The victory was the first in three starts this year for Uni, who was honored with a championship last year after taking the First Lady and the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) late in the year at Santa Anita Park. In two earlier races in 2020, she ran third in the Just a Game Stakes (G1T) and seventh in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T)—defeats that left some wondering whether she had lost her enthusiasm for racing.

But she was always eager to compete in Saturday's race. She was surprisingly close to the pace, racing in third, about five to six lengths off longshot leader Crystal Lake, who set splits of :23.89 and :47.92 in the mile grass event.

The leader began to tire, and favored Newspaperofrecord made her move to test Crystal Lake with six furlongs in 1:12.48. Uni, under Joel Rosario, caught barnmate Newspaperofrecord passing the eighth pole and pulled ahead for a length victory over late-rallying Beau Recall, who nipped Newspaperofrecord for the place.

Uni ($6.80) raced on firm ground in 1:34.90, more than two seconds off her time last year when she smoked the distance in 1:32.87 from behind faster splits.

Her time was also about a second off the 1:33.99 clocking by the older male Ivar when he took the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1T) a couple of races later on the Saturday card at Keeneland.

"She's nice to ride; she's easy," said Rosario, her principal rider since fall of 2018.

Uni races for Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Bethlehem Stables and is trained by Chad Brown, who notched his third consecutive First Lady and fourth overall.

"I was so stressed out," said co-owner Sol Kumin of the Head of Plains partnership. "You know, if she doesn't run well here, you couldn't run her back in the Breeders' Cup after the year she had. Now you run her back, same track, (five) weeks (off), and you feel like she might be back. 

"Chad said her last two breezes, he felt like she was circling back to the form she had last year, so we were hopeful. But until you see it, you just don't know. Just an incredible filly."

The First Lady was a Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 7 at Keeneland, though that 1 3/16-mile race is beyond Uni's best distance. She is a miler, as is runner-up Beau Recall, who also remains under Breeders' Cup consideration, according to her trainer, Brad Cox.

Also running well to show was Newspaperofrecord after she was outsprinted early and not able to secure her customary frontrunning position. Slow-starting Dalika and Crystal Lake completed the order of finish.

Uni was bred in Great Britain by Haras D'Etreham out of the Dansili mare Unaided, the dam of two winners from four foals to race. The dam also has a yearling Almanzor colt and a No Nay Never weanling colt.