Hunter O'Riley stays close throughout in United Nations win

With a five-wide run into the lane, Hunter O’Riley rallied Saturday from off the pace -- but, importantly, not too far -- to became a Grade 1 winner of Monmouth Park’s United Nations Stakes.

The Jimmy Toner trainee, with Paco Lopez up, was seventh of eight in the 1 3/8-mile race before a timely move led to the 6-year-old’s late pass of Zulu Alpha for the victory.

A gelded son of Tiz Wonderful, Hunter O’Riley is campaigned by Sean Shay and Michael Ryan.

“Today he stayed in the race all the way,” jockey Paco Lopez said, with Hunter O’Riley a known deep closer. He was never more than five lengths from the front as Arrocha set dawdling fractions of 25.29 and 50.36 to open proceedings.

Eventually, Hunter O’Riley got up by a neck in a final time of 2:17.10.

Behind Zulu Alpha, favored Channel Cat and Bigger Picture rounded out the board.

"A super ride by Paco," said the trainer Toner. "He kept him there. This horse has a tendency to take himself out of races. Paco saved ground all the way and he was with the field and then when he hit the turn and tipped out – I thought he might have tipped out a little too far – but once he tipped out he made a good run the last part of it. He rode a tremendous race on him.

"...This race, he wasn’t 15 or 20 lengths back. That was the key."