Heavily-favored Monomoy Girl continued what is now nearly a three-year winning streak Friday with a win in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes under a hand ride from Florent Geroux. The 5-year-old fan favorite chestnut sat off early pacesetters Lady Kate and Risky Mandate, who put some daylight between themselves and Monomoy Girl up the backstretch. Going into the final turn, Geroux could be seen looking over his shoulder to size up any potential competition before allowing Monomoy Girl to put in some run at the top of the stretch. The mare opened up in late stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths, prompting announcer Larry Collmus to proclaim “All she does is win!” as she hit the wire.
Monomoy Girl paid $2.80 to win.
Geroux would later tell NBC cameras he has to choose his moment carefully with Monomoy Girl, as she's inclined to do just enough to stay in the lead and needs competition to run at.
Lady Kate finished second, followed by Horologist. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.14, 5/100ths of a second off the stakes record.
Brad Cox trains Monomoy Girl for Michael Dubb and Monomoy Stables.
Monomoy Girl returned to the races earlier this year after missing her 4-year-old season due to a serious bout of colic, winning an allowance optional claimer and the G2 Ruffian. She also has wins in the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff, G1 Kentucky Oaks, G1 Acorn, and G1 Coaching Club American Oaks to her credit.
Monomoy Girl was bred in Kentucky by FPF LLC and Highfield Ranch. She is the daughter of Tapizar and Henny Hughes mare Drumette.
See the full chart here.
LA TROIENNE QUOTES, courtesy of the Churchill Downs media office
Florent Geroux (winning rider, Monomoy Girl) — “There was no doubt. She gave us every indication in the morning that she was back at a top level. In the Ruffian, when she beat Vexatious pretty easily and then Vexatious came back and beat Midnight Bisou, it gave us a better line from there. Even if it wasn't for that, she's been working extremely well in the morning. There is no doubt she is a champion horse and definitely a horse of a lifetime. “There was a little bit of congestion going into the first turn, but I had a nice outside post. I was never worried. I was on the best horse and we had a great trip. I just had to push the button when she was ready.”
Brad Cox (winning trainer, Monomoy Girl) — “She's the only horse I get nervous running. Once I leg up Florent (Geroux) it's 10 minutes of anxiety. He did have to work on her a little bit to clear off from Lady Kate. She's a true champion and is able to overcome a four-wide trip into the first turn. She's the horse of a lifetime. The way she's trained since the spring, since April, is when she took off.”
Javier Castellano (rider, Lady Kate, second) — “I love the way she did it today. She broke so well out of the gate and I just let her do her own thing. The good thing is she'll rate beautifully on the lead. That's what I was looking for, I know Monomoy Girl was much the best but my filly ran a really good race. I think she was second best today and I'm very satisfied with the way she did it. She ran so good. I had a lot of confidence turning for home but when I saw Monomoy Girl, she went by. I wasn't disappointed in my filly because she responded too. Everything I asked for, she gave it to me. But Monomoy Girl was much the best.”
Eddie Kenneally (trainer, Lady Kate, second) — “We were delighted with that. That was a big effort. She didn't get beat very far. It was a good effort. We were delighted, absolutely. Grade 1, that means a lot.”
(On Breeders' Cup Distaff?) We'll get with Brad (Anderson), the owner, and we'll come up with a plan, but hopefully so.”
Brad Anderson (owner, Lady Kate, second) — “That was crazy. I'm so proud of her. I thought she was going to stop at the top of the stretch, and she just kept going. Monomoy Girl, come on. We gave her everything she wanted. It's just nice because we had to take our time with her, we've been patient. It's nice to see them finally run their race, get the break you want and get everything you wanted. And here we got beat by a better horse but we ran our race. Grade 1 on our pedigree, stakes-winner last time. That's huge. That's huge for me. That's the most expensive filly I ever bought ($485,000 yearling). And now I can thank my wife for letting me spend that kind of money.”
The post ‘All She Does Is Win’: Monomoy Girl Takes Grade 1 La Troienne In A Hand Ride appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
The $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) will kick off a Labor Day Weekend slate of seven stakes at Gulfstream Park Saturday while headlining the six-race sequence for the Rainbow 6, the popular multi-race wager that will offer a guaranteed jackpot pool of $200,000.
The sequence for the Rainbow 6 will span Races 7-12 and will include the $75,000 Bear's Den in Race 8 and the $75,000 Miss Gracie in Race 10, as well as the Smile in Race 11. First-race post time is set for noon.
Cool Arrow, a career winner of more than $500,000, has been installed as the even-money favorite for the Smile, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up. The Terri Pompay-trained 6-year-old gelding is coming off back-to-back victories, including a dominating 4 ½-length triumph in the Opening Lead Stakes last time out. Kathy Ritvo-trained Double Crown will also be seeking his third straight victory while coming off back-to-back stakes scores in the Roar and the Carry Back at Gulfstream.
Ruben Gracida-trained Monforte, who finished second in the Aug. 8 Not Surprising while coming off a six-month layoff, is rated as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the Bear's Den, a 7 ½-furlong turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up. Monforte, who had won his four previous races, will be challenged by Cadet Connelly, a Grade 1 stakes-placed 3-year-old gelding, and Sassy But Smart, who is slated to make his first start since finishing a close fourth in the Feb. 29 Palm Beach (G3) at Gulfstream.
Labor Day Weekend stakes action will continue on Sunday with the running of the $75,000 Benny the Bull and the $75,000 Sheer Drama and on Monday with the $75,000 Mr. Steel and the $75,000 Monroe.
The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the third racing day in a row Friday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $7,412.80.
Saturday's Rainbow 6 will have a guaranteed pool of $200,000 and will include the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3), $75,000 Miss Gracie and $75,000 Bear's Den. The Miss Gracie and Bear's Ben will be contested on the turf.
There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $1,761.30.
The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
The post Gulfstream: Smile Sprint Headlines Saturday’s $200,000 Guaranteed Rainbow 6 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
After missing the entire 2019 season due to injury and colic, 2018’s champion sophomore filly Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) returned to Grade I glory with an easy score in Friday’s GI La Troienne S. at Churchill Downs. Away in good order from the outside stall in this eight-horse affair, the 2-5 chalk was four-wide rounding the first turn in a joint third as Lady Kate (Bernardini) hustled up to the front with Risky Mandate (Strong Mandate) shadowing her through a :23.4 opening quarter-mile. Racing off the fence in third, Monomoy Girl sat back patiently a few lengths off the top two as the half went in :46.26. Closing the gap with ease on the backstretch run, the Eclipse winner ranged up alongside the pacesetter while three wide turning for home. Shrugging off her rival at the eighth-pole, Monomoy Girl cruised clear under a hand ride for a facile victory. Lady Kate held second and hard-knocking Jersey-bred Horologist (Gemologist) completed the trifecta.
“She’s the only horse I get nervous running,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “Once I leg up Florent [Geroux] it’s 10 minutes of anxiety. He did have to work on her a little bit to clear off from Lady Kate. She’s a true champion and is able to overcome a four-wide trip into the first turn. She’s the horse of a lifetime. The way she’s trained since the spring, since April, is when she took off.”
“There was no doubt,” said Geroux. “She gave us every indication in the morning that she was back at a top level. In the [GII] Ruffian, when she beat Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway) pretty easily and then Vexatious came back and beat Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) [in the GI Personal Ensign S.], it gave us a better line from there. Even if it wasn’t for that, she’s been working extremely well in the morning. There is no doubt she is a champion horse and definitely a horse of a lifetime.”
As for the trip, Geroux said, “There was a little bit of congestion going into the first turn, but I had a nice outside post. I was never worried. I was on the best horse and we had a great trip. I just had to push the button when she was ready.”
Monomoy Girl captured the GII Rachel Alexandra S., GI Ashland S., GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn S., GI CCA Oaks and GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff during her Eclipse award-winning sophomore season in 2018. Given a brief freshening after her championship campaign, the chestnut returned to the Cox barn in the winter of 2019, but was soon sidelined by a case of colic. After rehabbing at WinStar, she rejoined Cox last July, but was sent to the bench yet again with a hamstring injury, which kept her off the track for the rest of her 4-year-old year. Back with Cox once again at the start of 2020, Monomoy Girl made a triumphant return in a sloppy one-mile optional claimer at Churchill Downs May 16 and scored a decisive victory in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. July 11.
Pedigree Notes:
The winner’s dam Drumette–a half-sister to GSW Drum Major (Dynaformer)–summoned $1.85 million from Bridlewood at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale while carrying a foal by Mastery. The resulting foal was a fill and she had a colt by Tapit May 25 of this year. Monomoy Girl’s 3-year-old half-brother Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) won one of the divisions of this year’s GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds, but was knocked off the GI Kentucky Derby trail with a minor injury. Her 2-year-old half-brother Superman Shaq (Shackleford) sold to Justin Casse at last month’s OBS Spring Sale for $550,000 and finished sixth on debut for Peter Miller at Del Mar Aug. 8, but breezed a sharp five furlongs in 1:00 flat from the gate there Aug. 30.
Friday, Churchill Downs
LA TROIENNE S. PRESENTED BY OAK GROVE RACING AND GAMING-GI, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 9-4, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42.14, ft.
1–MONOMOY GIRL, 123, m, 5, by Tapizar
1st Dam: Drumette, by Henny Hughes
2nd Dam: Endless Parade, by Williamstown
3rd Dam: Mnemosyne, by Saratoga Six
($100,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-M. Dubb, Monomoy Stables, LLC,
The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant) & Bethlehem Stables
LLC; B-FPF LLC & Highfield Ranch (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent
Geroux. $300,700. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Filly, 14-12-2-0,
$3,386,818. *1/2 to Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice), GSW,
$327,162. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lady Kate, 118, f, 4, by Bernardini
1st Dam: Princess Haya, by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sally Slew, by Slew City Slew
3rd Dam: Precocious Lass, by Distinctive
($485,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Anderson Stables, LLC; B-Eileen
H. Hartis & Godolphin (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally. $97,000.
3–Horologist, 120, f, 4, by Gemologist
1st Dam: Cinderella Time, by Stephen Got Even
2nd Dam: Dethroned, by Defrere
3rd Dam: Capture the Crown, by Crafty Prospector
O-There’s A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds,
Medallion Racing & Abbondanza Racing, LLC; B-Holly Crest
Farm (NJ); T-William I. Mott. $48,500.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2 3/4, 2. Odds: 0.40, 17.20, 5.90.
Also Ran: Saracosa, Vexatious, She’s a Julie, With Dignity, Risky Mandate. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
The post Monomoy Girl On Top Again in La Troienne appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
