Redistricting Takes the United Nations in Another Big Day for Chad Brown

At Monmouth Park, the trainer enjoyed a huge hat-trick of graded wins on the Haskell undercard

Redistricting Shines as the Highlight on Another Stellar Afternoon for Brown / MONMOUTH PARK

OCEANPORT, New Jersey (Special for Turf Diario).- With a pinpoint ride from Flavien Prat and taking full advantage of a turf course that clearly suits him, Redistrictingonce again showcased his impressive current form when capturing Saturday’s United Nations Stakes (G2, 2200m, turf), the main supporting feature on Haskell Stakes (G1) day at Monmouth Park.

The son of Kingman was solid, confident, and efficient throughout the $600,000 contest, asserting his authority over Grand Sonata (Medaglia d’Oro) and Major Dude (Bolt d’Oro), both trained by Todd Pletcher, to give trainer Chad Brown his fourth winner of the card – he would finish with five – and his sixth victory in this prestigious summer event.

Tracking Major Dude without engaging in the early pace battle, Redistricting waited for his cue, and when Prat asked, he responded with class. The dark bay surged clear in the final furlong to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:13.75 over firm ground.

“He showed how much he likes this course when he won the Monmouth Stakes by five lengths last month,” noted Luis Cabrera, who oversees Brown’s Monmouth string. “Today was another great performance. He’s versatile – he can go forward or settle if the pace is hot. The key is how comfortable he is here. Plus, coming from Europe, he has that natural stamina.”

Prat commented: “I was planning to go for the lead, but when I saw Major Dude was committed, I slotted in behind. He traveled great the whole way, and when I asked, he gave me that punch good horses have.”

Brown and Prat doubled up in graded stakes thanks to Randomized, who rediscovered her top form with a gate-to-wire victory in the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3, 1700m, dirt, $500,000). The daughter of Nyquist, campaigned by Klaravich Stables, had gone winless in four G1 attempts since her 2024 Ogden Phipps (G1) triumph at Saratoga but controlled proceedings here to defeat Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor) and Candied (Candy Ride) comfortably in 1:42.75, returning $6.00.

“This will boost her confidence,” Cabrera said. “She’d been tackling the very best and holding her own. Dropping in class helped. Flavien gave her another perfect ride.”

The day’s biggest upset came in the Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3, 1800m, dirt, $400,000) when Surface to Air(Midshipman) scored at 19-1, running down heavy favorite Just a Touch (Justify) – third last out in the Met Mile (G1)– for trainer Panagiotis “Peter” Synnefias, just 26 years old. Ridden by Samuel Marin, who earned his first graded stakes win, Surface to Air closed boldly to score by a length in 1:49.29, returning $41.40.

“We planned this year better,” said Synnefias. “Last year we rushed him here. Using the Salvator Mile as prep worked perfectly. I saw him rolling at the quarter pole and got excited – this was the race of his life.”

Finally, Brown capped his day in the WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3, 1800m, turf, $300,000), completing a 1-2-3 sweep. Segesta (Ghostzapper), bred by Juddmonte and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., prevailed by a neck over Sacred Wish (Not This Time), with stablemate Grayosh (Yoshida) just a nose back in third. It marked Brown’s sixth straight win in the Matchmaker and his eighth in nine years. Segesta stopped the clock in 1:49.17, paying $7.60.

“All three were training great, so we weren’t sure which would fire best,” Cabrera said. “Irad said Segesta was very relaxed, and when she’s that way, she always finishes. This is a race we love to win.”

For Chad Brown, it was another dominant afternoon at Monmouth. For his rivals, it was yet another uphill battle.