Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Louis Lazinnaro's Adhamo broke through for his first win in the United States and first at the highest level Saturday in capturing the $618,000 United Nations Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, capping four straight graded stakes victories on the card for trainer Chad Brown and jockey Flavien Prat.
Adhamo relaxed in midpack on the rail as last year's United Nations winner and stablemate Tribhuvan laid down fractions of :24.70, :48.86, and 1:13.26 through six furlongs with 72-1 longshot Epic Bromance in pursuit in second.
Saving ground down the backstretch, Prat angled out Adhamo midway on the far turn and the 4-year-old Intello colt came three wide into the stretch to launch a strong rally. Tribhuvan led by 2 ½ lengths in early stretch, but the winner reeled him in with a determined drive, catching that rival with a sixteenth to run and drawing clear to score by 1 ½ lengths.
Adhamo finished the 1 3/8-mile turf test in 2:12.68 on firm turf.
“He didn't break super sharp and I was a little worried with post 1,” Prat said. “But the pace was fair, a little slow but fair, and he relaxed well. When they slowed it down he was pulling me. I had to be patient and wait to get out. He made a great run in the stretch. When I tipped him out he was ready to go. I think have won two or three stakes races in a row but never four in a row like this.”
Epic Bromance was up for second, a head in front of third-place finisher Temple. Tribhuvan finished fourth, another head back.
Adhamo won the 2021 Prix la Force (G3) in France last year but since arriving in the U.S. had failed to win in his first three starts—all graded stakes—for Brown but placed second or third in each, including a pair of Grade 1's at Belmont and Churchill Downs, most recently the Resorts World Casino Manhattan June 11 after the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic May 7.
“He's been a little unlucky this year,” said Brown, who won five races overall on Saturday's card. “He's still a little bit of a work in progress. I'm still trying to figure out what his best distance is, and ground and such. I was pretty confident going in to today that if he was able to get out in the clear and with a little bit extra ground to work with that he could run down a horse as good as Tribhuvan, and he did. He's a pretty talented horse. We're still figuring the horse out.”
Adhamo, who returned $5.60, improved his overall record to 5-3-3 from 15 starts and earnings to $755,090.
Bred in Ireland by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, Adhamo was produced by the Invincible Spirit mare Foreign Tune.
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