BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Multiple graded stakes-placed Echo Lane and stakes-winner Uncle’s Gold venture to Monmouth Park to improve their resumes Saturday when the two Florida-breds go in the $500,000 United Nations (Grade 2). Eight 3-year-olds and older are entered to go a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf.
A victory at this level by either would earn their respective breeders and $5,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
While Echo Lane is a two-time winner of the Claiming Crown Emerald on grass at Churchill Downs in 2024 and 2025 and has a second and two thirds in graded stakes company this year, the Rohan Crichton-trained 5-year-old has yet to win his first black-type race.
This year, he has been second to Grand Sonata in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida presented by FanDuel TV going 11 furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park in February and was third next out there in the Grade 3 Pan American at a mile-and-a-half on the grass on March 28. He then had a short, two-month break before coming back to finish third in the Grade 3 Louisville, again at a mile-and-a-half on grass, at Churchill on May 16. He shortens up Saturday after a fourth last out in the $217,000 Chorleywood Stakes (Listed) going a mile-and-three-eighths on the turf at Churchill on June 13.
Echo Lane is by Treasure Beach (GB) out of Misbehavin Miss, by Minehaft and was bred in Florida by Echo Lane of Ocala. He has won eight with four seconds and eight thirds in 30 starts earning $627,380 while racing primarily for owner Anthony Rogers.
Crichton claimed Echo Lane for $25,000 out of a maiden race at Gulfstream in December of 2023 and he has raced for Rogers in 24 races since, including winning a $25,000 maiden claiming in his first race for new connections a month later.
Luis Saez will ride Echo Lane from post three.
Uncle’s Gold brings a three-race win streak into the United Nations, a span that started with him taking the $100,000 AAA Feed & Tack Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs on March 29. He then won a second level, $32,000 optional claiming on the Delaware Park grass on June 4 and most recently won a second level, $50,000 optional claiming at Colonial Downs on June 27, also on the grass.
Monmouth Park will mark the seventh different track in 10 career starts for Uncle’s Gold, who has five wins with a second and third. A homebred for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation and trained by Michael Trombetta, Uncle’s Gold sports lifetime earnings of $225,510. He is by Uncle Mo out of Giant Crystal, by Giant’s Causeway and is a full-brother to Weber’s multiple stakes-winning grass horse Crystal Quest.
Paco Lopez will guide Uncle’s Gold from post six.
Among the expected favorites are Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel’s Just a Touch, an earner of $898,408 and winner of the Listed Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park in his last race; Listed Monmouth Stakes-winner Program Trading (GB) for Klaravich Stables and Thundering, who took the $125,000 JRA Turf Cup for owner Dastur Racing at Laurel in his last race.
Trainer Brad Cox will give a leg up on Irad Ortiz Jr for Just a Touch, who has drawn post seven; and the Chad Brown-trained Program Trading will break from post four with Flavien Prat. Derek Ryan has given the riding assignment on Thundering to Tyler Gaffalione and they have post five.
Rounding out the field are Eldest Son with Jose Ferrer in the irons; Telescopic and jockey Luis Rivera Jr., and Charlie Marquez will take the reins on Post Command.
Return to the July 16 issue of Wire to Wire
