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Posted 7-5-08
Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race at Monmouth Park
Oceanport, NJ (Sports Network) - A pair of "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup preview races that guarantee the winners automatic entry into the World Championships are on tap Saturday at Monmouth Park.
The $750,000 United Nations Handicap on the turf and $300,000 Salvator Mile will allow each winner to advance to the Breeders Cup Turf and the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, respectively, at Santa Anita on Saturday, October 25.
Champs Elysees, bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, is the likely favorite in the nine horse United Nations field. Trained by Bobby Frankel, the five-year- old will start from the inside post position for the 1 3/8 mile turf race. Ramon Dominguez returns to ride the horse for the third time.
Champs Elysses will be making his sixth straight start in the United States after a solid career in Europe. He is coming off a disappointing sixth-place finish as the favorite in the Charles Whittingham Handicap at Hollywood Park in June. His lone win in four starts this year was the San Marcos in January at Santa Anita.
In his career Champs Elysees has won three of 16 starts for $570,647.
Here is the complete field for the 55th running of the United Nation in post position order: Champs Elysees, Ramon Dominguez; Equitable, Kent Desormeaux; Presious Passion, Eddie Castro; Buddy's Humor, Carlos Marquez, Jr.; Independent George, Joe Bravo; Sudan, Ramon Dominguez; Ra Der Dean, A.R. Napravnik; Strike a Deal, Jose Lezcano and Crown Point, Stewart Elliott.
Defending Salvator Mile winner Gottcha Gold is back to defend versus five rivals. The five-year-old has drawn post five with Eddie Castro getting the mount because regular rider Chuck Lopez is sidelined with a fractured heel.
Trained by Eddie Plesa, Jr. for Centaur Farms, Gottcha Gold was second in the Pimlico Special after setting the pace. He picked up a win in March in the Skip Away Handicap at Gulfstream Park after beginning the year with a ninth- pace result in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita in January.
"If somebody wants the lead bad enough, they can have it," Plesa said. "He can sit off the pace and make his run like he did in Florida (a win in the Skip Away Handicap at Gulfstream). There was a rabbit in there, and he just stalked the fast pace and made the lead in the stretch."
Gottcha Gold has earned $827,420 in 26 career starts with eight wins. He was second in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to Corinthian at Monmouth Park.
Here is the complete field for the Salvator Mile in post position order: Notional, Joe Bravo; Rathor, Kent Desormeaux; Better Than Bonds, Ramon Dominguez; Indy Wind, Stewart Elliott; Gottcha Gold, Eddie Castro and Honest Man, Gabriel Saez.
The United Nations and the Salvator Mile will be shown live Saturday on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. (et). |
