More Than Ready’s ultra-classy mare Uni (GB) outran Newspaperofrecord of record in the stretch to win the $350,000 First Lady (G1) for the second year in a row, setting the 6-year-old up for a possible repeat performance in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).
Uni beat the males in that race last year when it was held at Santa Anita Park. This year’s renewal will be at Keeneland next month.
After a rare sub-par performance in the Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga in late August, Uni was looking for redemption in the First Lady. Longshot Crystal Lake took the early lead, guiding the field through a half-mile in :47.92, with Uni some five lengths from the leader. Newspaperofrecord, in second, took over on the final turn and floated Uni to the middle of the course when she drifted wide coming into the stretch.
Uni bore down on the lead and took over in the final sixteenth, winning by a length over late-closing Beau Recall in 1:34.90 for the mile on the firm turf.
“I was close (to the pace),” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “She was comfortable there, a couple of lengths behind Newspaperofrecord (IRE) and the other horse (Crystal Lake) in front of me, She’s nice to ride, she’s easy.”
Uni is now a four-time Grade 1 winner of over $2.5 million for Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables.
“Her last race for us will be the Breeders’ Cup against the boys and if she is able to do it again, it would be Hall of Fame good,” said Head of Plains principal Sol Kumin.
Uni was bred in Great Britain by Haras D’Etreham. She and Rushing Fall, also a prior Breeders’ Cup winner, are both Grade 1 winners this year for More Than Ready.
