Presious Passion Skips United Nations

When entries were taken for Saturday’s Betfair/TVG United Nations Stakes, one name was missing, and the non-entry stuck out like a red flag. Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion, who had won the last two editions of the Grade 1 U.N., was not named to the race.

“Physically, he’s fine. He’s just not on his game,” said trainer Mary Hartmann. “He’s just not his old self.

“I would never send him out there to embarrass himself,” said Hartmann.

The 7-year-old Presious Passion won the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream to start his season, and then was shipped to Dubai for the Grade 1 Sheema Classic. He never looked comfortable in that race, and tired to finish last in a very uncharacteristic performance.

On June 12, he went in the Monmouth Stakes here, and never made the lead as Get Serious took the track away from him and went on to victory. Presious Passion looked dull as he came home 7th of 9.

“We sent him to a farm in Colts Neck,” Hartmann said, “and we’ll see how he does there. I wanted to put him where I could see him every day.

“There are no plans for him,” the trainer said. “I want to see how he’s doing.”