More Than Ready's Uni Leads Home Female Exacta in the Mile

In the previous 35 runnings of the GI TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, distaffers had defeated their male counterparts no fewer than nine times, for an admirable strike rate of 25.7%. Never in the history of the event had females occupied the top two spots, but that all changed in the course of 92 seconds Saturday afternoon, as Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) outfinished her GI Fourstardave H. conqueror Got Stormy (Get Stormy) to score by 1 1/2 lengths. John and Tanya Gunther's 2018 G1 St James's Palace S. hero Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) flew home late to snag third, just ahead of this year's St James's Palace victor Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Supplemented for $100,000, Uni is the first Breeders' Cup Mile winner trained by Chad Brown.

The Saturday morning defection of Bolo (Temple City), the expected speed, left a murky pace scenario a fair bit cloudier. When GI Woodbine Mile upsetter El Tormenta (Stormy Atlantic) went up to press Hey Gaman (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) passing the 6 1/2-furlong marker, it was clear that the Mile would be run at a genuine clip after all. The leading duo clicked off the opening two furlongs in :22.78, with Uni settled fourth-last, and she was niggled along just a bit to take closer order while slipstreaming Circus Maximus at the half-mile pole. The pace remained very much on–the second sectional was clocked in a demanding :22.54–and Uni caught the eye with an electric move three-eighths from home, following Circus Maximus on the turn before wheeling five wide outside of Got Stormy at the entry to the lane. Shaken up by Rosario in upper stretch, Uni hooked up with her fellow chestnut, heads apart streaking into the final furlong, but Uni had the superior finishing kick and won clear. With stablemate Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire})'s defeat in the GI Filly & Mare Turf, Uni greatly enhanced her chances for the female turf Eclipse Award.

“She broke right with the first pack and then they ran away from her,” said Brown, who later won the GI Breeders' Cup Turf with Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway). “Joel did exactly what we planned, which was to break as well as you can and let her find herself in the first turn. Luckily Without Parole moved to the rail for us and we were in the two path and sort of raced as a team down the backside. I just loved where my spot was. Yes, the Turf seems to be very firm, but when they threw that fraction up, I absolutely loved where we were. Joel fits her so well. Hats off to him. Obviously, he's a world-class jockey and has won a lot of races, but the relationship between him and this horse is about as strong as you can get.”

Winner of the Perfect Sting S. off a near seven-month absence at Belmont Park June 29, the chestnut was the 9-5 favorite facing the boys for the first time in Saratoga's GI Fourstardave H. Aug. 10. As many as 17 lengths behind a loose leader after a half-mile, she whooshed home her final two furlongs in :22.54, but had been left too much to do and settled for third to Got Stormy, whose handier trip made the difference in the end. Uni was back in against her peers when last spotted in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. Oct. 5, and while she received a gorgeous set-up, she produced another eye-catching finish, rolling home in :22.68 to score decisively.

Added Rosario, winning his second race on the afternoon and his 11th Breeders' Cup win overall, “We had a perfect trip. The speed got away from me a little on the backstretch, but she was comfortable and in a good spot, so I just sat still with her. I asked her at the three-eighths pole and she gave me a strong run. That's when I knew we would win. But when we got alongside [Got Stormy], she fought back a little. For a minute I thought 'Uh-oh,' because she's a very nice filly who beat us this summer. But, my filly still had more left and we pulled clear of her in the last sixteenth.”

According to part-owner Sol Kumin, Uni will train on as a 6-year-old in 2020.

Pedigree Notes:

It has been a tremendous Breeders' Cup weekend for the outstanding dual-hemisphere shuttler More Than Ready-the sire of 24 Grade I/Group 1 winners-who serves as the broodmare sire of Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor (Palace Malice) and of GII Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Four Wheel Drive (American Pharoah). Uni is bred on a cross over Danehill or his stallion sons that has been responsible for the likes of Australian G1SWs Prized Icon (Aus), Sebring (Aus), Perfectly Ready (Aus) and Benicio (Aus). Produced by a half-sister to Italian Group 3 winner Whazzis (GB) (Desert Prince {Ire}), Uni is a half-sister to the 2-year-old colt Bring Him Home (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and a colt foal by Almanzor (Fr). With the victory, More Than Ready becomes the leading sire of Breeders' Cup winners with seven, one better than Sadler's Wells and Unbridled's Song.

Saturday, Santa Anita
TVG BREEDERS' CUP MILE-GI, $1,840,000, Santa Anita, 11-2, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:32.45, fm.
1–UNI (GB), 123, m, 5, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Unaided (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Wosaita (GB), by Generous (Ire)
3rd Dam: Eljazzi, by Artaius
(€40,000 Ylg '15 ARAUG). O-M. Dubb, Head of Plains Partners
LLC, R. LaPenta & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Haras d'Etreham
(GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Joel Rosario. $1,100,000. Lifetime
Record: SW-Fr, 18-10-3-3, $2,347,880. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Got Stormy, 123, f, 4, Get Stormy–Super Phoebe, by Malabar
Gold. ($23,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $45,000 2yo '17 EASMAY).
O-Gary Barber; B-Mt. Joy Stables, Pope, Pope Jr. & Marc
McLean (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $340,000.
3–Without Parole (GB), 126, c, 4, Frankel (GB)&log=">Frankel (GB)–Without You
Babe, by Lemon Drop Kid. (650,000gns RNA Ylg '16 TATOCT).
O-John D. & Tanya Gunther; B-John Gunther (GB); T-Chad
C. Brown. $180,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 3.60, 3.10, 8.20.
Also Ran: Circus Maximus (Ire), Bowies Hero, El Tormenta, Hey Gaman (GB), Space Traveller (GB), Lord Glitters (Fr), True Valour (Ire), Lucullan, Trais Fluors (GB), Next Shares. Scratched: Bolo, Caribou Club, Suedois (Fr). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.