Tribhuvan channeled his inner Presious Passion–a winner of this event in both 2008 and 2009–to effectively employ catch-me-if-you-can tactics and reach the highest level. Opening up as many as five lengths while appearing well within himself through splits of :24.01, :49.32, 1:15.47 and 1:40.16. Foes stacked up behind him leaving the final turn, but Flavien Prat was still sitting chilly and as son as he gave Tribhuvan his cue in upper stretch it was clear he couldn't be caught.
“We had a good trip,” said California-based Prat, who is increasingly becoming a go-to rider for East Coast-based Chad Brown. “He broke well and got me in the race. Then I was surprised I was alone because I didn't feel like I was going that fast, and he really came back to me nice along the backside, and I took a nice breather. It was a good breather. The race went really well when I asked him to make his move. I kind of sent him out there because I didn't be too wide so I ended up on the lead. My only concern from that point was getting him back into a nice rhythm and without losing too much energy so that's what I did. It worked out well. I had a lot of horse under me and he was really traveling well.”
Tribhuban broke his maiden at 12th asking at Compiegne for Henri-Alex Pantall in September of 2019, and doubled up in a Chantilly handicap a month later before being acquired privately. He'd take three starts to break his Stateside maiden, in a Belmont optional claimer last July, and reemerged an improved horse when first employing his new running style to victory in Belmont's GII Fort Marcy S. May 1. He settled for second best last time to stablemate Domestic Spending (GB) {Kingman {GB})–who was ridden by Prat–in the 10-panel GI Manhattan S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard.
“The way he ran was the strategy,” said Luis Cabrerra, assistant to now four-time U.N. winner Brown. “That's the way he ran in the Manhattan in his last start. He was just second-best to Domestic Spending. So we wanted to do the same thing this race. This horse has been training well. We've had him for a week at Monmouth Park and he has really taken to this place. I wasn't worried about them catching him because these fractions weren't all that fast. In the Manhattan he went [:23.81 and :46.95] to the half. That was much faster and he still held strong for second. When I saw the fractions today I knew we were okay.”
Saturday, Monmouth
UNITED NATIONS S.-GI, $515,000, Monmouth, 7-17, 3yo/up,
1 3/8mT, 2:15.48, fm.
1–TRIBHUVAN (FR), 124, g, 5, by Toronado (Ire)
1st Dam: Mahendra (Ger), by Next Desert (Ire)
2nd Dam: Minaccia (Ger), by Platini (Ger)
3rd Dam: Maji (GB), by Shareef Dancer
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€30,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €58,000 RNA
Ylg '17 AROYRG). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC,
Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso; B-Jean Charles Haimet,
Elza Petit & Hannah Petit (FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat.
$300,000. Lifetime Record: 19-5-3-3, $661,154. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Imperador (Arg), 118, h, 5, Treasure Beach (GB)–Duchess
Royale (Ire), by Danehill. O-Bonne Chance Farm, LLC & Stud R
D I, LLC.; B-Haras Rio Dois Irmaos S.R.L. (ARG); T-Paulo H. Lobo.
$100,000.
3–Epic Bromance, 118, g, 5, Kitten's Joy–Anura (Ire), by Giant's
Causeway. ($50,000 Ylg '17 FTKTUR; $100,000 2yo '18
OBSAPR). O-Epic Racing; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY);
T-J. Kent Sweezey. $50,000.
Margins: 2, 1, NK. Odds: 1.70, 23.20, 61.10.
Also Ran: Serve the King (GB), Glynn County, Arklow, Winters Back, Fantasioso (Arg), Master Piece (Chi), Oceans Map.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
Tribhuvan becomes the second highest-level winner (and first in the Northern Hemisphere) for MG1SW champion Toronado (Ire) (High Chapparal {Ire}), who was eighth as the favorite in Karakontie (Jpn)'s 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Mile win. He is the penultimate registered foal, and certainly the standout, of his dam's seven sons or daughters. He hails from the family of this year's G1 Prix Ganay heroine Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}) as well as MGSWs Montclair (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Macleya (Ger) (Winged Love {Ire}).
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