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Big Blue Kitten regains United Nations title

Big Blue Kitten became the first two-time winner of the UN in non-consecutive years since Round Table (Taylor Ejdys/Equi-Photo) Sunday's $535,000 United Nations (G1) pitted the past two winners of the Monmouth Park turf showpiece -- 2013 hero Big Blue Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and defending champion Main Sequence (Aldebaran). While the latter went off as the 8-5 favorite to repeat, Main Sequence never got involved in seventh, and it was Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Big Blue Kitten who roared back to reclaim his crown. Rallying off the fast pace set up by his rabbit, the 4-1 second choice topped his 9-2 stablemate Slumber (Cacique) to give trainer Chad Brown the exacta. The seven-year-old veteran thus earned a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), as part of the "Win & You're In" series. As expected, the Ramseys' recent claim Shining Copper (Aragorn) did his job in this first start for the Mike Maker barn. The 129-1 longshot opened up on the field through fractions of :23 4/5, :47 2/5 and 1:11 4/5 on the firm turf. The field began to close in as the pacemaker reached the mile mark in 1:35 4/5, but Shining Copper exceeded expectations by continuing to hold the lead in midstretch.

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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