Main Sequence to face 8 in United Nations at Monmouth Park

OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) Eclipse Award winner Main Sequence will defend his title in the $500,000 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park against 2013 winner Big Blue Kitten and seven other horses.

Main Sequence drew the No 6. post for the 1 3/8 mile race on the turn. Rajiv Maragh will ride the H. Graham Motion trainee, who will be making his first start since returning from Dubai this spring.

Main Sequence won the United Nations last year in his debut in the United States and went on to capture the Breeders' Cup Turf, eventually taking home the Eclipse Award as top male turf horse.

Big Blue Kitten, most recently second in the Grade 1 Manhattan, flew through the stretch in 2013 to capture the U.N. under jockey Joe Bravo, who will be back aboard on Sunday.

Also entered Thursday are Grade 1 winners Twilight Eclipse, Slumber and Imagining. In addition, Ashleyluvssugar, who has won a pair of Grade 2's in California for trainer Peter Eurton, will join the U.N. cast as will multiple graded stakes winner Divine Oath. Rounding out the field will be Sycamore Lane, who has won his last two, and Shining Copper, who will be making his first start for trainer Mike Maker.

The U.N. is once again part of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Series. It will be televised on Fox Sports 1 as part of the Jockey Club Tour.

The field for the Grade 1 race from the rail out with rider assignments is: Twilight Eclipse, Paco Lopez; Sycamore Lane, Jose Lezcano, Big Blue Kitten, Bravo; Shining Copper, Abel Castellano Jr.; Slumber, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Main Sequence, Maragh; Imagining, John Velazquez; Ashleyluvssugar, Gary Stevens and Divine Oath, Elvis Trujillo.