Turbo Compressor stretches out in United Nations

Turbo Compressor, who led throughout in taking last month's 1 3/16-mile

Colonial Turf Cup, will attempt to stretch his speed 1 3/8 miles Saturday in the

Grade 1, $500,000

United

Nations at Monmouth Park. The historical turf fixture, which was introduced

in the early 1950s at Atlantic City, has attracted a field of seven.

An impressive 5 1/2-length Gulfstream allowance winner in his turf debut in

March, Turbo Compressor ran below expectations in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve

Turf Classic May 5. Taken back by his rider rather than engage fellow speed

horse Little Mike, Turbo Compressor eventually retreated to eighth as Little

Mike led throughout on an uncontested lead.

The front-running tactics that have led to much of the ridgling's success

were used by Joe Bravo in the Colonial Turf Cup. Setting a moderate pace, Turbo

Compressor left enough in the tank to repel a late charge by Air Support to win

by 1 1/4 lengths.

Turbo Compressor will face nominal early pressure from outsider Freud's

Honour in the United Nations, but will have serious opposition among the

stalkers and closers in the field. Air Support might fare better in the return

match as the four-year-old has seemingly raced his way into better form and

should be ideally suited to the step up in trip. His signature win to date was

last year's Grade 2 Virginia Derby over 1 1/4 miles.

Grade 1 winner Brilliant Speed ran a surprise third in the Grade 1 Breeders'

Cup Turf last fall behind St Nicholas Abbey and Sea Moon, both of whom went on

to register significant wins in England this season. However, the Live Oak

homebred has failed to live up to similar expectations this term with only one

placing -- in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic -- in three starts.

Slim Shadey, who ran second in that top-level event at Churchill Downs, makes

another trek east for the U.N. A wire-to-wire winner of the Grade 2 San Marcos

in February, the Simon Callaghan-trained gelding has occupied the runner-up slot

in three subsequent outings. Book ending the Churchill effort were seconds in

the Grade 2 San Luis Rey and Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial. In the

latter, Slim Shady did well to finish a length behind loose-on-the-lead

Acclamation.

Grade 2 veterans Al Khali and Eldaafer, both of whom went unplaced in prior

outings over the Monmouth turf, complete the United Nations field.

Flat Out will not defend his title in Saturday's Grade 2 Suburban Handicap,

but instead shows up in the entries for Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000

Monmouth Cup.

Once known as the Meadowlands Cup and contested at 1 1/4 miles, the race is now

run at one mile.

Among the leading older horses in the nation last year with victories in the

Suburban and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and seconds in the Grade 1 Whitney

Handicap and Grade 1 Woodward, Flat Out subsequently lost much of his sharpness.

The beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic and Grade 1 Clark

Handicap, he was also uncompetitive over both turf and dirt at Gulfstream this

past winter. Since his last race, Flat Out exited the barn of trainer Scooter

Dickey and is now with Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

Hoping to spring the upset in the Monmouth Cup are San Pablo, a multiple

overnight stakes winner at Aqueduct last winter who most recently missed by a

neck in the Grade 3 Excelsior March 17; multiple Grade 3 winner Rule, who makes

his first start since October; and multiple stakes winners Sloane Ranger and

Ponzi Scheme, first and fifth, respectively, in the Donald LeVine Memorial

Handicap at Parx Racing two weeks ago.