Tag: Churchill Downs

Sesamoid Fracture Forces Retirement Of Two-Time Champion Monomoy Girl

Monomoy Girl, the two-time Eclipse Award winner and seven-time Grade 1 winner, has been retired from racing after she was discovered to have sustained an injury during training Tuesday at Churchill Downs.

“Monomoy Girl went out for a routine gallop Tuesday morning and came back a little off in her right front leg. We had it x-rayed and found a non-displaced fracture of the sesamoid. Obviously, we're very disappointed,” said trainer Brad Cox. “She's walking sound today and it's not anything that will require surgery. It's just unfortunate that it will end her racing career.”

Owned by My Racehorse, Spendthrift Farm and Madaket Stables, Monomoy Girl had been making a return to racing following a break over the spring since her narrow runner-up finish to Letruska in Oaklawn's Apple Blossom S. (G1) in April. The 6-year-old chestnut mare retires with 14 wins and three seconds from 17 lifetime starts.

“I'm going to miss having her around and not being able to put a saddle on her again, but Monomoy Girl owes us nothing,” said Cox. “She's an unbelievable mare and will always hold a special place in my heart as our first Oaks winner, Breeders' Cup winner and champion. She will go to Spendthrift to start her breeding career and I'm sure she'll be an awesome mom.”

Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said that Monomoy Girl is expected to come to the Lexington-based farm this week to settle into her new career as a future broodmare. Breeding plans have not yet been determined.

“Certainly, we are disappointed, especially for all of our partners,” said Toffey. “While we were hopeful to get her back to the races this year, we won't lose focus on what is most important and that is a healthy Monomoy Girl. She's an all-time great and we look forward to the next chapter of her career and giving her a great life on the farm at Spendthrift.”

A stakes winner at two, Monomoy Girl went on to capture four consecutive Grade 1 victories as a 3-year-old including the Ashland, Acorn, CCA Oaks and storied Kentucky Oaks. She returned to Churchill Downs later in the year to become just the eleventh 3-year-old to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), earning her first Eclipse Award as the 2018 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.

Setbacks caused Monomoy Girl to miss a 4-year-old campaign, however, she returned at five in career form, ripping off four straight wins and punctuating a perfect season with another Breeders' Cup Distaff triumph last November at Keeneland. She earned her second Eclipse Award, this time as the 2020 Champion Older Dirt Female.

Monomoy Girl set a world record last fall after selling for $9.5 million as a racing/broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Spendthrift elected to keep her in training and partnered with MyRacehorse to offer microshare ownership in the superstar racemare for her 2021 campaign. Monomoy Girl won the Bayakoa S. (G3) at Oaklawn in her seasonal debut before her nose defeat to divisional frontrunner Letruska, earning a 102 Beyer – the second highest Beyer of her career.

With earnings of $4,776,818, Monomoy Girl ranks as the fifth highest-earning dirt female of all time, joining an illustrious top 5 list that includes Midnight Bisou, Zenyatta, Beholder and Royal Delta.

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Cox Plans To Train Essential Quality Up To Breeders’ Cup Classic

Trainer Brad Cox will not start juvenile champion Essential Quality again before the Breeders' Cup Classic, reports the Daily Racing Form. Instead, the 3-year-old son of Tapit will train up to the race at his home base of Churchill Downs.

“The plan is to have all his works here,” Cox told DRF. “He'll pretty much work every Saturday from here on in until we leave for Del Mar. It's 10 weeks from the Travers to the Classic, and that's just fine.”

This year, Essential Quality has racked up wins in the G3 Southwest, G2 Blue Grass, G1 Belmont, G2 Jim Dandy, and G1 Travers Stakes. His only loss came in the Kentucky Derby, in which the colt finished fourth, beaten one length at the wire.

Conversely, the champion's stablemate Knicks Go will have his final Breeders' Cup prep in the Lukas Classic on Oct. 2 at Churchill.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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Churchill Announces Proposal For New Casino In Indiana

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Wednesday that it has submitted a proposal to develop the Queen of Terre Haute Casino Resort, a destination gaming facility in Vigo County, Indiana. CDI has also filed an application to the Indiana Gaming Commission (“IGC”) seeking Indiana's open casino license for Vigo County.

“Churchill Downs has a 147-year track record of offering extraordinary entertainment experiences and has significant expertise developing premier casino and gaming properties throughout the United States,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI. “We are proud to offer our vision for this world-class casino, a true destination resort designed to draw visitors and economic activity from across the Midwest to Terre Haute.”

The Queen of Terre Haute will feature up to 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, a 125-room luxury hotel, a state-of-the-art TwinSpires sportsbook and several food & beverage offerings. From its name (inspired by Terre Haute's nickname as the “Queen City of the Wabash Valley”) to concepts and design features across the facility, the Queen of Terre Haute will reflect the unique heritage of Vigo County and the surrounding region.

“We appreciate the local encouragement we've received as we've evaluated this opportunity,” said Carstanjen. “In the days ahead, we look forward to making our case to the Indiana Gaming Commission as to why our proposal to build the Queen of Terre Haute is in the best interest of the residents and businesses of Terre Haute, Vigo County and the State of Indiana.”

An economic impact study conducted by economists at Purdue University estimates that the Queen of Terre Haute will generate $190 million in annual regional economic impact, including 1,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs. According to the study, the project is expected to deliver a 2 percent annual increase in the West Central Indiana gross regional product.

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Churchill: King Fury Features In Bourbon Trail, Irish Unity Tops Harrods Creek

Three Chimneys Farm's 2021 Lexington Stakes (Grade 3) winner King Fury headlines a field of seven 3-year-olds that were entered in Saturday's inaugural running of the $275,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The Bourbon Trail, run at 1 3/16 miles, will go as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m. The Saturday program also features the $275,000 Dogwood (Listed) and $275,000 Harrods Creek.

King Fury has run against some of the nation's top 3-year-old colts this year, including his most-recent fifth-place effort behind top Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) rated horse Essential Quality in the $1.25 million Travers (G1). Trained by Kenny McPeek, the son of Curlin broke his maiden at Churchill Downs on debut and scored a half-length victory in the $98,000 Street Sense last fall.

King Fury's 3-year-old campaign includes a 2 ¾-length victory in the $200,000 Lexington (G3) and a runner-up finish to Masqueparade in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). King Fury will be reunited with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. for Saturday's race, who has been aboard the chestnut colt for all three of his victories. The duo will break from post No. 4.

Also entered in the Bourbon Trail is Rupp Racing's stakes winner Gagetown. Trained by Brad Cox, Gagetown most recently finished third in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby and $250,000 Iowa Derby. The son of Exaggerator won the $50,000 Prairie Mile in June. Martin Garcia will ride from the rail.

The complete field for the Bourbon Trail from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Gagetown (Garcia, Cox)
  2. King's Ovation (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans)
  3. Dr Jack (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher)
  4. King Fury (Hernandez, McPeek)
  5. Angkor (Adam Beschizza, Phil Bauer)
  6. Bourbon Thunder (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes)
  7. Sermononthemount (James Graham, Tom Amoss)

Clearview Stable's recent $250,000 St. Louis Derby runner-up Irish Unity tops a competitive field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings that was entered in Saturday's first-running of the $275,000 Harrods Creek at Churchill Downs.

The seven-furlong Harrods Creek will go as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. First post for the 11-race program is 12:45 p.m. Along with the Harrods Creek, the Saturday card will feature the $275,000 Dogwood (Listed) and the $275,000 Bourbon Trail.

Irish Unity, conditioned by North American and Churchill Downs' all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen, has not finished worse than second in four career starts. The consistent son of Pioneerof the Nile won his first two starts in June at Lone Star prior to shipping to Asmussen's Kentucky string. The homebred finished second to Beaver Hat in a conditioned allowance event at Ellis Park before his runner-up effort to Flash of Mischief in last month's St. Louis Derby. Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the return mount from post No. 7.

Also entered in the Harrods Creek is Wayne Davis' four-time Louisiana-based gelding Emerald Forest. Trained by Shane Wilson, Emerald Forest dominated his two most recent starts by a combined 18 lengths at Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs. In those starts, Emerald Forest earned stout Brisnet.com speed ratings of 100 and 105, respectively. Jose Guerrero, who's based at Louisiana Downs, will travel to Kentucky for the mount and will break from post 5.

The complete field for the Harrods Creek from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Dreamer's Disease (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro)
  2. Ram (Rafael Bejarano, D. Wayne Lukas)
  3. Bob's Edge (Adam Beschizza, Larry Jones)
  4. He'smyhoneybadger (Martin Garcia, Brad Cox)
  5. Emerald Forest (Guerrero, Wilson)
  6. Shadow Matter (Corey Lanerie, Dallas Stewart)
  7. Irish Unity (Hernandez, Asmussen)
  8. Wolfie's Dynaghost (Tyler Gaffalione, Tom Albertrani)
  9. Flags Up (James Graham, Jimmy Baker)
  10. Everett's Song (Pablo Morales, Dale Bennett)

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