BIGGER Picture nabbed Irish-bred Can’thelpbelieving on the wire in the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Park last Saturday.

The runner-up did everything right, collaring favourite Beach Patrol but succumbing in the final strides to Bigger Picture. The duo returned a cool $238.60 for the exacta.

Bigger Picture picked up his sixth victory and first Grade 1 stakes win since being claimed for $32,000 in November, 2015 by Three Diamonds Farm and Mike Maker. The gelded son of Badge Of Silver is now 10-for-25 in his stellar career.

Unchained Melody made her stakes debut and earned her first stakes win in the Grade 2 Mother Goose at Belmont Park last Sunday.

Owned by Hidden Brook Farm and Hare Forest Farm, trained by Brian Lynch and ridden by Joel Rosario, the daughter of Smart Strike sauntered on the lead and never looked back, stamping a three-length margin (her biggest margin of the race) on Lockdown and Moana.

Unchained Melody won her career debut in March, finished second against allowance company at Keeneland in April and won a first-level allowance at Belmont Park in June.

The Alabama at Saratoga looks like a natural next step. “That’s where we’ll go,” Lynch said. “She stamped her ticket today.”

Bricks at Belmont

BRICKS And Mortar emerged as a leading contender in the three-year-old turf division in New York by winning the Manila Stakes at Belmont Park on the 4th of July.

Owned by Klaravich and William Lawrence and trained by Chad Brown, the son of Giant’s Causeway rocketed from last to first in the mile stakes. Sent off second choice in the field of seven, the dark bay colt remained undefeated (three-for-three) in his promising career.

Seymourdini shines

SEYMOURDINI continued his ascent into the dirt stakes division, romping to a 10½-length score in the State Dinner, a restricted stakes at Belmont Park last Tuesday.

Owned by Iris Smith Stable and trained by Linda Rice, the four-year-old son of Bernardini led every step for Jose Ortiz before strolling away with his third consecutive victory.

Purchased for $900,000 as a two-year-old in training in 2015, Seymourdini won two of five starts before downgrading to Laurel Park this spring where he won twice. The State Dinner made it three in a row by a total of 36¼ lengths. Yes, 36¼ lengths.

On target

ON Leave returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since taking the Grade 2 Sand’s Point in the autumn.

Owned by Stuart Janney III, the daughter of War Front held off Irish-bred Off Limits, making her American stakes debut, by a neck in the $100,000 turf stakes. On Leave won four straight last year before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II. This year, she returned in the Grade 3 Gallorette, finished second to Cambodia.

Trained by Shug McGaughey, On Leave will certainly dive back into graded stakes at Saratoga. She won the Riskaverse at the Spa last summer and should wind up in the Grade 1 Diana.

Obviously retired

Obviously was retired after trainer Phil D’Amato discovered mild bone bruising recently. A nine-year-old Irish-bred, Obviously won 13 races, including three Grade 1 stakes having cost just €2,000 at the Goffs February Sale in 2009. Owned by Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scardino, Obviously won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint