UNITED NATIONS

(GRADE 1)

LEADING owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Big Blue Kitten surged late to defend his title and win the $500,000 Grade 1 United Nations Stakes for the second time last Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Completing a fine weekend of turf racing for trainer Chad Brown, the seven-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy closed gamely to repeat his success from the 2013 running of the race under jockey Joe Bravo.

“Man, I keep saying it, but he’s just like an old glass of wine - he keeps getting better with age,” Bravo said. “He got beat less than five lengths in the Breeders’ Cup and I thought that was the worse race he ever ran. And this year, he’s just come back bigger and stronger, and (he) looks better than ever.”

Trailing in seventh through much of the race, over 11 lengths behind longshot leader Shining Copper, Big Blue Kitten travelled three wide through the final turn, flying by rivals to finish first.

Slumber, also trained by Chad Brown, upset Big Blue Kitten last time out in the Grade 1 Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park but was forced to settle for second place, a length and a half behind the winner. He was followed by Twilight Eclipse, a neck back in third.

“Joe knows this horse and rides him best,” Brown said. “This is Joe’s mount and I hope there’s several more Grade I (races) in their future. This horse is just so consistent. What a great runner.”

Main Sequence, the 2014 champion grass horse and older horse who won the United Nations last year, lacked the late kick that allowed him to win four straight Grade 1 turf races in 2014, finishing seventh.

“The pace was there and we sat just where we wanted to, but it just wasn’t our day,” said rider Rajiv Maragh.