Tag: Florent Geroux

Monomoy Girl Proves Better Than Ever in BC Distaff

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) completed a sensational championship season in 2018 with a victory in the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs. After a series of medical issues forced her to miss her entire 4-year-old season in 2019, the Eclipse winner proved to be better than ever in her return to action this year, capping a perfect 2020 campaign with another victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland Saturday.

Monomoy Girl was hammered down to even-money favoritism in an event billed as a match race between the top older mare and the leading sophomore filly, GI Preakness S. heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who was dispatched as the 2-1 second-choice. While Monomoy Girl broke cleanly from the outside post in this 10-horse World Championship event, Swiss Skydiver stumbled a step exiting stall five. She quickly recovered, but appeared to be climbing as she raced on the fence in eighth early. Monomoy Girl, on the other hand, was perched three wide in fifth as Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) and 45-1 shot Lady Kate (Bernardini) battled through a :23.11 opening quarter.

Monomoy Girl maintained her position out in the clear, keeping a close eye on the leaders as the half-mile went in :46.03 with Swiss Skydiver still biding her time near the back of the pack. As Harvest Moon registered three-quarters in 1:09.94, Monomoy Girl inched closer to the pacesetter with Valiance charging up boldly behind the chalk and Swiss Skydiver moving into contention up the fence. Monomoy Girl ranged up alongside Harvest Moon at the top of the stretch as Swiss Skydiver drew even with the leader on her inside and the stage appeared set for the match race everyone had hoped for. Monomoy Girl gained a narrow advantage and a determined Harvest Moon hung tough beside her for a few strides as Swiss Skydiver began to fade. The Eclipse winner charged clear halfway down the stretch as Valiance ranged up strongly and Dunbar Road (Quality Road) made a bold bid from well back. But neither of those rivals ever seriously threatened Monomoy Girl, who coasted home to a 1 3/4-length victory in the Distaff.

The winner is scheduled to go through the ring across town Sunday as Hip 192 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, appropriately dubbed the “Night of the Stars,” as is runner-up Valiance (Hip 231). Dunbar Road completed the trifecta and Harvest Moon was a game third. Swiss Skydiver faded in mid-stretch to finish a surprising seventh.

When asked if Monomoy Girl will sell as planned, co-owner Sol Kumin said, “I think we are going to enjoy tonight. I think this group of owners will jump on a phone call later tonight or tomorrow and try to come up with a game plan. We will just kind of figure it out. I think at the end of the day we’re trying to be smart in the way we run our stable and she’s had an unbelievable career. We have to sort of think about what’s best for her and we’ll have to put out heads together and figure it out.”

Monomoy Girl was the first Grade I winner, first Breeders’ Cup scorer and first champion for trainer Brad Cox. She was also his fourth Breeders’ Cup winner of the weekend following Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

“Honestly it’s a relief,” said Cox. “She means the world to me and it’s a lot of pressure when we run her, I don’t know why. It just is. It’s been a long road back. She’s a real race horse. She’s meant so much for so many people’s lives, she’s an amazing creature. I love her to pieces. Words can’t even describe it. I think she plays a big role in our other three Breeders Cup victories over the weekend. She’s meant so much to so many people’s lives. She was my first Grade I winner here at Keeneland. I’m just do proud of her.”

“What a mare, just exceptional,” said winning rider Florent Geroux, who has been aboard Monomoy Girl for all of her starts. “She’s a mare of a lifetime, very rare. It’s like finding a diamond. When you have it, you do the best you can. It’s a gift. Even after all she’s been through, being off a year and a half, to come back and still be at the top of her game is unreal. I’m super thankful for the opportunity that Brad and the owners have given me.”

Todd Pletcher said he was pleased with his charge’s runner-up effort.

“I thought she ran super,” Pletcher said. “We had a good trip, a little wide on both turns, but we were following the winner. She put in a good run. Kept them honest to the wire.”

As for the beaten favorite, Swiss Skydiver, rider Robby Albarado said, “She stumbled a little bit leaving there. It maybe cost her a little length or two position-wise, but it didn’t cost us the win. I had a great opportunity turning for home and get on through there and get heads-up with the champ, but she just didn’t have it today. I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but I’m not disappointed in her. What she has done in her career, she has never let anybody down, she hasn’t disappointed anybody. The way she ran in the Preakness, she doesn’t have to validate herself from here on out. She’s a special filly and everybody knows her. She gets a little time now and will come back next year stronger.”

Monomoy Girl crossed the line first in all seven of her starts in 2018, but was disqualified from one, the GI Cotillion S., and placed second behind Fasig-Tipton bound fellow champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). In addition to the Distaff, her 2018 championship season was highlighted by victories in the GI Ashland S., GI Kentucky Oaks and GI CCA Oaks.

Given a brief freshening after her Eclipse-winning campaign, the chestnut returned to the Brad Cox barn in the winter of 2019, but was soon sidelined by a case of colic. After rehabbing at WinStar, she rejoined Cox in July of 2019, 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.

Making her long-awaited return to the races May 16 at Churchill Downs, Monomoy Girl proved she was just as good as ever, scoring a facile optional claimer victory going a mile in the slop. Registering another easy win over next-out GI Personal Ensign S. victress Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway) in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. July 11, the 5-year-old bested re-opposing Lady Kate and Horologist (Gemologist) in Churchill’s GI La Troienne S. last time Sept. 4.

 

Pedigree Note:

Monomoy Girl is the only Grade I winner by Tapizar, as well as one of six graded winners and 11 black-type scorers by the Gainesway stallion. She is also the only Grade I winner, one of three graded victors and one of 14 black-type winners out of a daughter of Henny Hughes. 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 filly and she had a colt by Tapit May 25 of this year. Monomoy Girl’s 3-year-old half-brother, ‘TDN Rising Star’ 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. He also earned the ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod after an impressive second-out graduation at Del Mar Sept. 6.

Saturday, Keeneland
LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF-GI, $1,840,000, Keeneland, 11-7, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:47.84, ft.
1–MONOMOY GIRL, 124, 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. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 15-13-2-0, $4,426,818. *1/2 to Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice), GSW, $327,162. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
2–Valiance, 124, f, 4, by Tapit
1st Dam: Last Full Measure, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Lazy Slusan, by Slewvescent
3rd Dam: Three Flights Up, by Topsider
($650,000 Ylg ’17 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Schwartz, Martin S. and CHC Inc.; B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $340,000.
3–Dunbar Road, 124, f, 4, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Gift List, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Private Gift, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: Private Status, by Alydar
($350,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Jeffery J. Drown (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $180,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 1.00, 14.30, 25.90.
Also Ran: Harvest Moon, Ce Ce, Point of Honor, Swiss Skydiver, Ollie’s Candy, Horologist, Lady Kate.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

 

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Aunt Pearl Runs Juvenile Fillies Turf Rivals Off Their Feet

Jockey Florent Geroux hustled Aunt Pearl out of the gate to secure the early lead, then cruised to an easy 2 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland, covering one mile on good turf in 1:35.71 and paying $7.20 as the betting favorite.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf was the fourth of five Future Stars Friday races for 2-year-olds that kicked off the two-day Breeders' Cup world championships at the Lexington, Ky., track.

Aidan O'Brien-trained Mother Earth finished second, with another European-based runner, Miss Amulet, third. She was followed by Campanelle, the Wesley Ward-trained filly who won the Group 2 Queen Mary at Ascot and Group 1 Prix Morny in Deauville.

Aunt Pearl, trained by Brad Cox, is a 2-year-old Irish-bred filly by Lope de Vega out of Matauri Pearl, by Hurricane Run. She was bred by Ecurie Des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud and races for the partnership of Michal Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stable.

Geroux, one of the best front-end jockeys in the sport, was intent on putting Aunt Pearl on the lead, and the opening quarter mile in :22.55 suggested he might be asking the filly to go too fast too early. But he managed to slow things down, getting the second quarter mile in :24.75 for a half-mile time of :47.30. The third quarter was slower still – :24.91 – for an opening six furlong time in 1:12.21.

Despite those progressively slower fractions, no one was gaining on Aunt Pearl, who cruised past the furlong pole in 1:23.84 en route to her final time of 1:35.71 Her final quarter mile was :23.50.

Aunt Pearl debuted at Churchill Downs on Sept. 1, winning a mile maiden race by five lengths, then came back five weeks later to win the G2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland by 2 1/2 lengths in similar front-running fashion.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf was the fourth Breeders' Cup winner for Cox, a 40-year-old native of Louisville, Ky. For Geroux, it was the sixth Breeders' Cup win for Geroux, a native of France who won the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Catch a Glimpse in 2015.

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Teaching An Old Horse New Tricks: Blinkers Have Arklow In Career Form For Breeders’ Cup Turf

Arklow's connections say he's a different horse since blinkers were added for the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup on Sept. 12, which proved his second triumph in Kentucky Downs' signature race in three years.

Saying he's different is saying something, given that Donegal Racing's 6-year-old Arklow had earned almost $2 million in 28 races without blinkers, including victory in New York's Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last year.

The Brad Cox-trained Arklow was much more engaged for jockey Florent Geroux early on during their 1 1/4-length Kentucky Turf Cup score over Red Knight, who won Keeneland's Grade 2 Sycamore in his next start. Meanwhile, Arklow has trained up to his third attempt at Saturday's $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, having finished fourth in 2018 at Churchill Downs and a deceptively good eighth — losing by a total of 2 3/4 lengths — last year at Santa Anita.

Arklow is the 5-1 co-third choice with New York-based Channel Maker in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, whose 1 1/2-mile distance is the same as the Kentucky Turf Cup. The 5-2 favorite in the field of 10 is 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Magical and the 3-year-old Mogul, with both trained by Irish kingpin Aidan O'Brien.

“A lot of people have forgotten, or never even knew, that he had the best speed figures of anyone in last year's Breeders' Cup, even though he finished eighth,” Donegal president Jerry Crawford said Thursday, referencing the Ragozin handicapping “sheets” that chart form cycles and the comparative speed of horses while taking into account trouble encountered in a race. “That's how wide he was the whole time. He was in great form them, but he's in dramatically better form now.

“All you have to do is talk to Brad Cox,” said Crawford, whose partners with Donegal in Arklow are Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway. “I, frankly, have never heard Brad so positive and confident in a horse as he is in Arklow on Saturday. Which is not to say that we don't have enormous respect for the Europeans. They're always very, very good – and we've got to beat Channel Maker, too. It's truly a world championship race. We think Arklow belongs and has an excellent chance. In Brad's words, as good a chance as anybody.”

Cox has said he was tempted before to add blinkers but that it was hard to make a change on a horse who was so productive. The opportunity came after Arklow finished fourth in Monmouth Park's Grade 1 United Nations, an audible called after he came in a disappointing sixth in Keeneland's Grade 2 Sycamore. The thought was that Arklow was leaving himself too much to do. Not only did the blinkers encourage the horse to position himself closer to the pace — as he had been in winning the Joe Hirsch last year — but his timed workouts in the morning have been much stronger.

Crawford quips that “a lot of owners would be smarter than to wait until a horse was 6 to try blinkers. That's on me. Brad put them on for a breeze after our ill-fated six-days rest before running at Monmouth Park. He called and said, 'We've got a whole new horse.'

“We saw his ability to get to the front (group) of horses in the Kentucky Turf Cup and was sitting on go the whole way, really, and not only held on but pulled away. I don't know how you could run a more impressive race than that.”

Said Cox: “That's the thing you do with blinkers: trying to get a horse more involved. He ran a great race at Kentucky Downs, really just kicked away from them late. Really pleased with his effort.

“He's doing better now than ever, so (we have) more confidence this year than the past,” he said of the Breeders' Cup Turf. “The Europeans are always tough in that division. We'll have to step up and run a race of a lifetime in order to win it. He's training like he's going to give us a race of a lifetime, so we're optimistic we'll be in the mix.”

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Monomoy Girl, Swiss Skydiver Among 27 Pre-Entries Working At Churchill Downs

With the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships one week away, 27 pre-entered horses logged their final breezes Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., prior to shipping to Keeneland for the two-day event that runs Friday and Saturday.

Below is the full list of Breeders' Cup horses that worked on Saturday at Churchill Downs:

Horse Work (splits/gallop out) Workmate Trainer Race
Arklow 4F :49 (:12, :24.20, :36.40/1:02) Brad Cox Turf
Beau Recall 4F :50.40 (:25.60, :37.80/1:03.60) Shared Sense Brad Cox Mile
Bell's the One 4F: :47.60 (:24/1:00.60) Grove Daddy Neil Pessin F&M Sprint
By My Standards 5F :59.80 (12.40, :24.20, :35.80/1:12.60) Bret Calhoun Classic
Casa Creed 4F :47.20 (:12, :23.20, :35.40/1:00.20) Harvey's Lil Goil Bill Mott Mile
Crazy Beautiful 5F 1:01 (:12.40, :24.40, :36.40/1:14) Kenny McPeek Juv. Fillies
Factor This 4F :48.80 (:12.20, :23.60) Brad Cox Mile
Global Campaign 5F 1:00.40 (:36.40/1:14) She Love Me Stan Hough Classic
Got Stormy 4F :48.80 (:12, :23.60, :36.40) Mark Casse Turf Sprint
Harvey's Lil Goil 4F :47.20 (:12, :23.20, :35.40/1:00.20) Casa Creed Bill Mott Filly & Mare Turf
Hog Creek Hustle 4F :47.80 (:11.40, :35.40/1:01.40) Vickie Foley Sprint
Knicks Go 4F :48.20 (:12.20, :24, :35.80/1:01.60) Brad Cox Dirt Mile
Lady Kate 4F :48.20 (:12.20, :24, :35.80/1:01.60) Mo Zone Eddie Kenneally Distaff
MonomoyGirl 5F 1:01 (:12.80, :24.60, :37, :48.40/1:14.40) Owendale Brad Cox Distaff
Mr Freeze 4F :50.40 (:13.20, :25.60/1:03.40) Dale Romans Dirt Mile
Mr. Money 4F :48.60 (:24.20, :36.60/1:01.80) Bret Calhoun Dirt Mile
Owendale 5F 1:01.20 (:12.60, :24.80, :48.60/1:14.40) MonomoyGirl Brad Cox Dirt Mile
Sally's Curlin 4F :48.60 Dale Romans F&M Sprint
Sconsin 4F :48.80 (:37/1:01.40, 1:15) Greg Foley F&M Sprint
Silver Dust 4F :49 (:12.60, :24.80, :37.20/1:02.60, 1:15.20 Bret Calhoun Dirt Mile
Simply Ravishing 5F 1:00 (:11.80, :35/1:14) Kenny McPeek Juv. Fillies
Swiss Skydiver 5F 1:00 (:24.60, :36.40, :48.20/1:13.20) Kenny McPeek Distaff/Classic
Texas Wedge 4F :49.80 (:24.40/1:03.80) Peter Miller Turf Sprint
Title Ready 4F :48.20 (:23.20/1:02.40) Dallas Stewart Classic
Tom's d'Etat 4F :50.40 (:25/1:03.60) Al Stall Jr. Classic
War of Will 4F :48.20 (24/1:00.40) Mark Casse Dirt Mile
Whitmore 4F :48.80 (:11.60, :23.20/1:03) Unnamed (out of Famous Lady) Ron Moquett Sprint

Saturday was another busy morning for Brad Cox's barn as he worked six of nine contenders including $2-million Distaff (G1) likely favorite Monomoy Girl.

“I hate to sound cliché but it was another awesome morning for all of these horses,” Cox added. “Most of the serious preparation was done last week but these works still matter to make sure each horse is in top shape prior to the event.”

Jockey Florent Geroux was aboard Monomoy Girl for her final breeze prior to the Breeders' Cup as she worked alongside $1 million Dirt Mile (GI) contender Owendale. Monomoy Girl was one of six horses Geroux breezed Saturday at Churchill Downs.

“She's a champion mare and really a horse of a lifetime,” Geroux said. “She's a future Hall of Famer with her résumé. The speed figures show she is a little bit faster this year than her 3-year-old year.”

The only remaining Breeders' Cup contenders to work at Churchill Downs are Just Might and Manny Wah. Both will work on Sunday, according to their respective trainers.

Saturday finalized the works for trainer Bret Calhoun's trio of By My Standards, Mr. Money and Silver Dust. Jockey Gabriel Saez worked Allied Racing Stable and Spendthrift Farm's Dirt Mile (G1) contender Mr. Money at 5:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) prior to breezing $6-million Classic (G1) hope By My Standards at 5:45 a.m. Jockey Adam Beschizza worked Tom Durant's Dirt Mile contender Silver Dust at 7:30 a.m.

“(By My Standards and Mr. Money) both worked awesome this morning,” Saez said. “By My Standards was supposed to be in about 1:01 but I couldn't slow him down. He's just doing really, really good. Mr. Money got over the ground great again, too.”

By My Standards was one of four Classic contenders to work on Saturday. Another was Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's $500,000 Woodward (G1) winner Global Campaign. Trained by Stan Hough, Global Campaign returned from a nine-month freshening in April at Gulfstream Park and sports a 3-for-4 record in 2020.

“In the Fountain of Youth he really tore his quarter as bad as I've seen it,” Hough said. “That set up for a series of foot problems after that. He's very talented and I think we're getting to a place where he can really show it.”

Other Classic contenders to work Saturday were Charles Fipke's longshot Title Ready and G M B Racing's Grade I winner Tom's d'Etat.

“We are ready to go for the big money,” trainer Dallas Stewart said of Title Ready. “He's a longshot but he will be coming with his run. We'll see what happens but we'll be ready.”

Star 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver was one of three Kenny McPeek trainees to work Saturday morning. Jockey Robby Albardo was once again aboard for the work on the Preakness (GI) winner. She pre-entered both the Distaff and Classic and McPeek is leaning to the Distaff barring any major defections in the Classic.

Entries for all 14 Breeders' Cup races will take place on Monday. There are 43 horses from Churchill Downs expected to be entered. All horses are required to be on the grounds Wednesday. Many local contenders are set to arrive on Monday including Cox's nine-horse squad.

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