Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion, who gave trainer Mary
Hartmann her first Grade 1 victory when he took the 2009 United Nations Stakes,
is back at Monmouth and aiming for the top turf event of the season on July 2.
The 9-year-old son of Royal Anthem, who won the Grade 1
Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Santa Anita in 2009 and finished a close second in
the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) shortly after, has not been in the winner’s circle
since he took the Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream in February of 2010.
After a trip to Dubai
in March last year, he returned to run seventh in the Monmouth Stakes, and then
was sent to the farm for two months. His most recent starts have been less than
noteworthy, and he carried his speed only six furlongs last out in the Sunshine
Millions Turf on Jan. 29, finishing fifth at Santa Anita.
“He didn’t run well in California,” Hartmann said. “We brought him
to Florida
and he had some minor laser surgery on his throat. Everything’s been good with
him since then.
“We want to run him in the U.N.,” Hartmann said. “I don’t
know if I’ll be able to get a prep into him or not. The Monmouth Stakes (June
12) comes up too quick.
“It all depends on how he’s training. I may have to find
something for him to use as a prep,” the trainer said.
Presious Passion has won 14 of his 46 turf starts, including
five of 15 at Monmouth, and has earned $1,158,500 of his $2,691,099 career
total at this track.
MONMOUTH OFFERS PREAKNESS WAGERING FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Monmouth will offer advance wagering Friday on Saturday’s
entire Preakness Stakes card at Pimlico.
Monmouth’s gates will open at 10 a.m. Saturday morning for
simulcast wagering on the Preakness program, with Pimlico’s first race
scheduled to go off at 10:45 a.m.
Monmouth’s live Saturday program will begin at 12:50 with
the first of 12 races.