Local Winners Back on Monmouth Turf for United Nations

For a race with an international name and something of an international history, the July 20 renewal of the $600,000 United Nations Stakes (G2T) at Monmouth Park has a decidedly local cast of characters.

Six of the 12 entries had their last start "down the shore" at the New Jersey track, including the first three finishers and two more from the Monmouth Stakes (G3T) June 15 and the winner of the Cliff Hanger Stakes over the same course May 25.

Perennial East Coast turf powerhouse Chad Brown saddles two for the United Nations—Adhamo  and Running Bee . Adhamo, a 6-year-old son of Intello , won the 2022 edition of this race but is winless in eight starts since, including a seventh-place finish in the Monmouth Stakes. Running Bee, a dead-heat winner of the Monmouth Stakes, is 5-3-1 from 11 starts but the English Channel  5-year-old has had more success at shorter distances.

The others from the Monmouth Stakes are Fort Washington , a 5-year-old son of War Front  , trained by Shug McGaughey, who shared the win with Running Bee; third-place finisher Tawny Port , the 2022 Lexington Stakes (G3) and Ohio Derby (G3) winner who has found new life on the grass for Christophe Clement; and also-rans Grand Sonata  and the aforementioned Adhamo.

Starting Over , a 7-year-old Liam's Map   gelding, makes his first start since winning the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park in May over the same 1 3/8 miles. Also coming off that trip in their last start is Webslinger , who rallied to win the Chorleywood Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. Far Bridge  is coming off a dead-heat third in the Manhattan Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course, a 1 3/16-mile trip.

There's a shortage of obvious early speed in the field with only Get Smokin  showing a reliable tendency to take the point. The 7-year-old Get Stormy  gelding has been more successful at distances closer to a straight mile but did sustain a front-running effort to win the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs in September of 2023 when left alone on the lead.

"Going to the lead, that was the strategy," trainer Mark Casse said after the tour of the unique Kentucky Downs turf. "That's the way he runs." 

The United Nations has a storied history as part of the road to the United States turf championship, dating to well before the Breeders' Cup era. First run in 1953 at Atlantic City Race Course as the United Nations Handicap, the race was slotted later in the year and led to the Man o' War Stakes and the Washington D.C. International, arguably the first American "toe in the water" of global racing.

While most of the winners through the history of the race have been U.S.-trained, four of the eight in the 1953 inaugural running were foreign-bred.