Big Blue Kitten regains United Nations title

All the while, Big Blue Kitten had been well handled by regular rider Joe

Bravo. After settling as many as 11 lengths back early, he improved his position

rounding the final turn, set his sights on Shining Copper down the lane, and

duly blew by him. Big Blue Kitten drove 1 1/2 lengths clear in a final time of

2:11 4/5 for 1 3/8 miles.

"Man, I keep saying it, but he's just like an old glass of wine -- he keeps

betting better with age," said Bravo, a 13-time leading rider at Monmouth. "He

got beat less than five lengths in the Breeders' Cup (when eighth in the 2013

Turf) and I thought that was the worse race he ever ran. And this year, he's

just come back bigger and stronger and it looks like better than ever."

"Joe knows this horse and rides him best," Brown said. "This is Joe's mount

and I hope there's several more Grade 1s in their future. This horse is just so

consistent. What a great runner."

Slumber, last through the opening mile, encountered traffic trouble before

flashing home late for runner-up honors in a three-way scrum. Twilight Eclipse

(Purim), second in last year's United Nations, was a neck away in third. Shining

Copper was a valiant fourth, just a nose adrift of Twilight Eclipse, who beat

nemesis Main Sequence for the first time. Imagining (Giant's Causeway) raced

fairly evenly in fifth, followed by Ashleyluvssugar (Game Plan), Main Sequence,

Sycamore Lane (Artie Schiller) and Divine Oath (Broken Vow).

Big Blue Kitten returned $10.80 while advancing his resume to 27-13-7-4,

$2,090,830. The first two-time winner of the United Nations in non-consecutive

years since Round Table (1957, 1959), he wasn't ready in time to mount a title

defense here last summer. He also joins Mongo (1962-63), Noble Dancer (1978-79),

Manila (1986-87), Sandpit (1995-96), English Channel (2006-07) and Presious

Passion (2008-09) in the annals as two-time UN winners.

Among other career highlights are victories in the 2013 Sword Dancer

Invitational (G1), 2011 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2), 2014 Lure

and the 2015 Fort Marcy (G3) in his reappearance. He has placed in such Grade 1

events as the 2012 Gulfstream Park Turf, 2013 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Invitational, 2014 Canadian International and the June 6 Manhattan to Slumber --

a loss he avenged here.

The Kentucky-bred ridgling was produced by the Unaccounted For mare Spent

Gold, from the further family of champion Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got Even)

and Grade/Group 2 winner Fair Judgment (Alleged).

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