Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), winner of the May 11 Prix Matchem at Maisons-Laffitte in France, will be transferred to the barn of trainer Chad Brown for owners Sol Kumin and Michael Dubb, who will campaign the 3-year-old filly in America in partnership with owner/breeder Haras d'Etreham. Kumin and Dubb bought into the filly earlier this year in a deal organized by Bradley Weisbord and Mandore International's Nicholas de Watrigant. Uni is currently in quarantine in New York and could eventually be pointed toward a start in the July 8 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, should she receive an invitation to that $1-million event.
“I am really excited about Uni,” said Kumin, who joined as a co-owner of the sophomore ahead of her sixth-place effort in the Apr. 9 GIII Prix Vanteaux at Chantilly. “I asked Nick [de Watrigant] to look for a 3-year old filly from Europe that he thought could go long for the Belmont Oaks that we could send to Chad Brown. He found her for us and the original plan was to run in a Listed stakes and Group 1, and then ship to the U.S. to Chad, so he had six weeks or so with her.”
While the Prix de Vantaux saw Uni struggle while taking significant kick-back over uneven ground, she rebounded in more-than-adequate fashion, defeating male rivals impressively in the nine-furlong Prix Matchem.
“We had a tough decision to make with Nick and my partner Mike Dubb on do we keep her there and run her in the
[G1] French Oaks or ship to the U.S. for the Belmont Oaks, and we went with the U.S.,” Kumin continued. “I think she will get the distance and she likes firm ground. We won the race with Lady Eli (Divine Park) a few years ago, and it's one of my favorite races. Chad is excited to get her and see what she can do. I was thrilled Mike Dubb wanted to partner with me–we partner on lots of horses and he's a great friend.”
While Kumin, Dubb and the Chad Brown team are tasked with acquainting themselves with their latest arrival, Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham has known the filly since day one. De Chambure purchased Uni's dam, Unaided (GB) (Dansili {GB}), with the filly in utero for $230,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale. The first foal out of Unaided, Uni was brought to the Arqana August yearling sale before ultimately being bought back by de Chambure and put into training. After the chestnut followed a maiden victory at Deauville in January with a good third-place try in the Prix de la Californe at Cagnes-Sur-Mer Feb. 12, the owner/breeder fielded a number of inquiries about Uni's availability.
“I had a few phone calls after that race and one of them was Nicolas de Watrigant who does some work with Bradley Weisbord–who advises Sol Kumin–and they were looking for a filly for the Belmont Oaks,” explained de Chambure, who said he hopes to campaign Uni for several years to come. “They thought she was a good prospect for that race. I hadn't met Sol, but I knew who he was through Lady Eli and some of the other good fillies he has raced, and we spoke on the phone. I liked the idea of partnering in the filly with him, particularly as we have had horses with Chad before. I'll probably come, spend a few days in New York, and have a big race day as well.”
While it is not a certainty that Uni will receive an invitation to compete in the prestigious Belmont Oaks, it seems likely given Chad Brown's prolific record in the race (previously the GI Garden City S.), which he won in four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015. Imports like Uni are precisely what Belmont Park wants when it comes to adding international flavor to the July 8 Stars and Stripes Racing Festival, according to Martin Panza, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations at the New York Racing Association.
“Here's a filly that was bought in France and is pointing for the Belmont Oaks, and that's a good thing for racing in New York and in the U.S.,” commented Panza. “It's a good thing when we can give owners an opportunity to go out and purchase horses and bring them to the States. We hope to have her in the Belmont Oaks, and in other races.”
De Chambure echoed Panza's sentiment, asserting that partnerships such as the one formed for Uni represent a positive step toward the global integration of racing. An exchange of ideas, according to de Chambure, can yield positive results.
“In Europe, we feel that Americans have been more active looking for fillies and colts to go to America,” he concluded. “I think it's good for us to partner with them. I'm always happy to sell legs and stay in and meet people, and I think it was nice for them to be happy for me to stay in the filly as well. In the end, you share different thoughts and make the best decisions for the filly.”
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