Knightsbridge, Splendora air at Monmouth

Odds-on favorites Knightsbridge and Splendora had little difficulty asserting their superiority on the Haskell Day undercard at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

Favored at 1-2 in the $343,000 Monmouth Cup (G3), Knightsbridge won in a manner suggesting that longer, two-turn races might be an option for the erstwhile miler. Dictating terms throughout, Knightsbridge won by 10 1/4 lengths in a snappy 1:47.51 for 1 1/8 miles over a fast track.

Stakes newcomer Money Game incurred his first defeat in five tries by finishing second. It was 19 lengths back to Pegasus World Cup (G1) winner Skippylongstocking.

A Godolphin homebred son of Nyquist, Knightsbridge is trained by Bill Mott and was ridden by Flavien Prat. He paid $3 to win.

The Monmouth Cup was Knightsbridge’s first win beyond a mile. Winner of the Mr. Prospector (G3), Fred W. Hooper (G3), and Gulfstream Park Mile (G3) over the winter, the five-year-old was exiting a second-place finish to Nysos in the Metropolitan H. (G1).

Splendora, the 3-10 favorite in the $500,000 Molly Pitcher (G2) for fillies and mares, won in similar style. Unchallenged on the front end, Splendora extended her lead to 5 1/2 lengths at the wire under Prat. Lost Horizon edged Nerazurri for second in the field of seven.

Owned by Boyd Racing and By Talla Racing, the Bob Baffert-trained Splendora covered 1 1/16 miles over sealed fast track in 1:44.75 and paid $2.60.

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner, Splendora has now won four of her five starts this term. Also victorious in the D. Wayne Lukas (G2), Beholder Mile (G1), and Shawnee (G2), the five-year-old daughter of Audible's only setback this season was a subpar fourth in the Derby City Distaff (G1).

“She’ll come back to Churchill Downs and we’ll wait and see,” Baffert said when asked where Splendora would start next. “It could be a race at Saratoga, or maybe Keeneland. I haven’t decided yet.”

Program Trading earned his first graded win in more than two years with a decisive score in the $500,000 United Nations (G2).

Snapping a seven-race losing streak in the June 13 Monmouth S., Program Trading improved his record over the local turf to 3-for-3, winning the UN by 2 3/4 lengths as the 9-10 choice under Flavien Prat. Owned by Seth Klarman, Program Trading covered 1 3/8 miles over turf rated good in 2:19.77 and paid $3.80.

This was a record-breaking seventh win in the United Nations for trainer Chad Brown, breaking a tie with the late Hall of Fame conditioner Mack Miller, who won all his at the United Nations’ original home of Atlantic City between 1966 and 1984.

A six-year-old son of Lope de Vega, Program Trading was a three-time Grade 1 winner at ages three and four, taking the Saratoga Derby (G1), Hollywood Derby (G1), and Turf Classic (G1).