Money Multiplier to Beat in Deep U.N.

[Wandering Eyes]

Al Shahania Stud’s 6-year-old ridgling Money Multiplier (Lookin At Lucky) is two-for-three over the Monmouth Park turf and has the same number of wins in 15 tries over all other courses. Sporting back-to-back victories in the GII Monmouth S., the dark bay will look to take home the Oceanport oval’s top grass prize, and his first Grade I, in Saturday’s GI United Nations S. Likely to go off as a close favorite, he faces a deep field of rivals, including last year’s U.N. upsetter.

Second in the U.N. in 2016, to go with runner-up efforts in the GI Sword Dancer S. and GI Man O’ War S. that term, the Chad Brown trainee took home the Monmouth, the local prep for the U.N., in his 2017 debut before completing the exacta again in the Sword Dancer. Winless in his next four starts, including a third in the G1 HH The Emirs Trophy Feb. 24 in Qatar, he returned to annex the Monmouth again here May 26. Brown also saddles Chilean Group 1 winner Kurilov (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky) and French Group 1 winner Silverwave (Fr) (Silver Frost {Ire}), first and fourth, respectively, in a Belmont allowance May 25.

Three Diamonds Farm’s Bigger Picture (Badge of Silver) was over 10-1 when he took the early summer feature last year, and he proved that to be no fluke with a narrow runner-up try in the GII Bowling Green S. and a third in the Sword Dancer, beaten just a nose by Money Multiplier. The 7-year-old gelding finished off the board in three of his next four outings, however, and was last seen running seventh in the Man O’ War May 12 at Belmont.

“He’s doing well,” trainer Mike Maker told the Monmouth notes team. “His last race wasn’t up to par, but he’s getting older so I don’t know if he is losing some consistency. At the same time, that was a tough field–which you expect in a Grade I race.”

Maker will also send out Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Oscar Nominated (Kitten’s Joy), a multiple graded stakes winner who most recently ran second in the GII Dixiana Elkhorn S. Apr. 21 at Keeneland.

Rodney Paden’s One Go All Go (Fairbanks) will look to rebound to the form that saw him nearly steal a Grade I win this spring. The 6-year-old bay ran second at 30-1 in the GII Fort Lauderdale S. Jan. 13 at Gulfstream to start a string of six consecutive 100+ Beyer figures, which culminated in a third-place effort while leading to deep stretch in the Man O’ War. Unable to take up his preferred position on the lead in the GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan S. June 9 at Belmont, he faded to finish 11th.

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