Brown Trio Looks Imposing In U.N.

Chad Brown will look to capture the GI United Nations S. for the third time in four years, and will bring a three-pronged attack of new faces into the annual 4th of July weekend feature. Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Big Blue Kitten (Kitten's Joy), who carried Brown to U.N. glory in both 2013 and 2015, will pass on this year's renewal, as will stable star Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}), so it speaks to the barn's depth that it will still be represented with a trio of contenders, including the morning-line favorite.

That projected choice is Wake Forest (Ger) (Sir Percy {GB}), who has produced a ferocious closing kick in two starts for Brown, finishing a head second in the GII Pan American S. Apr. 2 at Gulfstream and impressively annexing the GI Man O' War S. at Belmont May 14. The six-year-old, owned by Michael Dubb, Sheep Pond Partners and Bethlehem Stables, was bottled up for most of the stretch run that day before finding clearance in the final furlong and flying late for the victory. He has put in a quarter of five-furlong breezes in preparation, culminating in an easy 1:02 3/5 move on the Belmont inner turf June 26.

Dubb also has a stake in Brown's Mr Maybe (Ghostzapper), a five-year-old gelding who appeared on his way to big things towards the end of 2015 with three straight runaway scores, capped by a 4 1/4-length romp in Aqueduct's GIII Red Smith H. Nov. 14. The gray has only made it to the starting gate once this year, however, resulting in a disappointing third-place finish as the 19-10 choice in Gulfstream's GII Mac Diarmida S. Mar. 5. The longest shot of the Brown triad, Money Multiplier (Lookin At Lucky), is not without a chance, coming into this off a good second at 18-1 in the Man O' War, a race in which he was on the hard chase of eventual eighth-place finisher Go Around (Medaglia d'Oro) and led into the late stages before just getting run down by his favored barnmate.

The main danger to Brown's three is clearly Live Oak Plantation's World Approval (Northern Afleet), a nice three-year-old who has turned the corner at four, running a neck second in the GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. May 7 at Churchill and completing the trifecta in Belmont's GI Woodford Reserve Manhttan S. June 11. The biggest hurdle for him will likely be the 11-furlong trip, as he couldn't quite go with the top two in the 1 1/4-mile Manhattan, his only try beyond nine panels. Triple Threat (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), winner of last year's GII Monmouth S. over this course, and Can'thelpbelieving (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) rate outside chances.