When two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl makes her 2021 debut this Sunday at Oaklawn in the G3 Bayakoa Stakes, both MyRacehorse and Sol Kumin will have been added the champion mare's ownership group, reports bloodhorse.com.
Spendthrift Farm bought the 6-year-old daughter of Tapizar for $9.5 million at the end of 2020, following her win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, and decided to return the mare to trainer Brad Cox for a final racing season. Spendthrift has since leased out a portion of her racing rights to both MyRacehorse and Kumin.
MyRacehorse will control 51 percent of Monomoy Girl's racing rights, and expects to sell 10,200 shares at $46, each constituting a .005 share of purse money she earns in 2021.
Kumin was originally involved in Monomoy Girl's ownership under his Monomoy Stables partnership, and has now leased a share of her racing rights under the Madaket Stable banner.
“It was hard to let Monomoy Girl go at the end of the year, but it seemed like the right thing to do for our stable and partnership,” Kumin told bloodhorse.com. “Once I saw Spendthrift bought her, I asked if I could stay involved in some way and they were able to make it happen so we can complete the ride. We have been lucky with Spendthrift in the past, and they are great partners, so we are extremely appreciative they let us back.”
By virtue of victories in the GI Kentucky Derby and in the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and combined with a third seven-figure success in the GI Haskell Invitational S., the ownership group that campaigned leading Horse of the Year hopeful Authentic (Into Mischief)–Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing–finished 2020 as the leading owner by earnings with a total of $6,790,000. The partnership raced Authentic for his final four races.
In total, Authentic won five of his seven starts in 2020 and led all horses by North American earnings with $7,170,000 ahead of the recently retired Tiz The Law (Constitution, $2,388,300), GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf victress Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Eclipse Award candidate Improbable (City Zip).
Godolphin was second among leading money winners, with $5,703,770 (80 wins from 361 starts), followed by Klaravich Stables Inc., which earned $5,323,398 (70/272). End Zone Athletics Inc. was the leading owner by wins, with 163 trips to winner’s circle from 801 starters (20.3%), good for earnings of $2,867,917.
After finishing second in 2018 and 2019, Steve Asmussen topped all trainers by money won, sending out the winners of 422 races from 2,278 starts and earnings of $20,204,064. He outdistanced Brad Cox (216 wins/903 starts, $18,983,832) and Bob Baffert (94 wins/323 starts, $18,983,832).
Irad Ortiz, Jr. topped all jockeys by money won, with an even 300 winners from 1,266 mounts for earnings of $21,050,726. Joel Rosario was second (194/1,052, $18,235,197) and Luis Saez (268/1,398, $16,511,372). Ortiz was also the nation’s winningest jockey of 2020, finishing 29 winners clear of Tyler Gaffalione and Saez.
Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute–Diva Delite, by Repent), the reigning Eclipse Award-winning older female and five-time Grade I winner, has been retired from racing, according to Jeffrey Bloom, co-owner and managing partner or Bloom Racing Stable.
“I cannot begin to tell you what this mare has meant to me, my family, and my partners,” said Bloom. “The places she has taken us and the thrills she has given us are immeasurable. And just to be in her presence is to feel what greatness is all about. Her calm, inquisitive demeanor, her fierce determination in a race is unlike any other horse. She is all class. I’m just so grateful I got to be a part of her incredible journey, and I’m extremely excited to watch the next phase of her life, watch her become a mother, and for her babies to hit the track with all of her class and elegance, and continue the Midnight Bisou legacy.”
Bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Midnight Bisou was bought back on a bid of $19,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September sale, but improved over the next seven months and was hammered down to Bloom as agent for $80,000 at the OBS April Sale the following spring (under-tack video). Turned over to Bill Spawr in California, Midnight Bisou was sent off at debut odds of 21-1 for Bloom and Allen Racing LLC and was beaten a nose by future Grade I winner Dream Tree (Uncle Mo), to whom she was also beaten a nose in the Desi Arnaz S. in her next start.
She became the queen of the hill in Southern California in 2018, winning the GII Santa Ynez S., the GIII Santa Ysabel S. and the GI Santa Anita Oaks (video) in convincing fashion before heading to Churchill Downs for her next appearance.
The Monomoy Girl Meetings…
On the strength of that form, Midnight Bisou was made the 23-10 favorite for the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, but she endured a nightmarish trip from a wide draw and did well to be third, beaten just over four lengths by Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). With better and richer options for his filly in the eastern half of the U.S., Bloom elected to transfer Midnight Bisou to trainer Steve Asmussen, who saddled the filly to a towering six-length success in the GII Mother Goose S., with Madaket Stables now part of the ownership group. Clearly second to Monomoy Girl in the GI CCA Oaks, the dark bay was third in the 10-furlong GI Alabama S., then crossed the line a neck second to Monomoy Girl in the GI Cotillion S. (video) before being elevated to the victory. She closed the season with a rallying third to her arch-rival in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The Making of a Champion…
While Monomoy Girl spent the entirety of 2019 on the shelf, Midnight Bisou dominated the division, with seven wins from eight starts. Ultra-game in taking the GI Apple Blossom H. by a nose in April, she was imperious in adding the GI Ogden Phipps S. and GIII Molly Pitcher S. before throwing down with Elate (Medaglia d’Oro) in one of the year’s most thrilling stretch battles in the GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga (see below). A nose best that day, she romped in the GII Beldame S. before suffering her first defeat of the season in the Distaff. She was nevertheless the runaway winner of the Eclipse, besting her Distaff conqueror Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) by a wide margin.
WATCH: Midnight Bisou outduels Elate in the 2019 GI Personal Ensign S.
Training On at Five…
The morning of the Distaff, Bloom announced that Midnight Bisou would be withdrawn from the Fasig-Tipton November sale and would instead focus on a 5-year-old campaign. Connections selected the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup for their mare’s seasonal debut, and despite racing far back early, she made eye-catching progress up the rail in the final furlong to finish a close second to Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) (video). In the meantime, Monomoy Girl had made a successful return to action and a much-anticipated rematch loomed in the GII Fleur de Lis S. June 27. But the Brad Cox runner was re-routed for the GII Ruffian S. at Belmont two weeks later and Midnight Bisou took full advantage, rolling home by 8 1/4 lengths. Beaten a neck into second by Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway) in this year’s Personal Ensign Aug. 1, Midnight Bisou was being pointed for this weekend’s GI Juddmonte Spinster S., but she was off following a work at Saratoga this past Monday and was sent to Rood and Riddle in Lexington to be examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage. The renowned vet confirmed Wednesday that Midnight Bisou had sustained a sesamoid fracture in her right front fetlock. Surgery is not indicated and the injury will not impact her future as a broodmare.
Midnight Bisou will be consigned by Elite Sales to this year’s Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars Nov. 8.
“I want to thank trainer Steve Asmussen, assistant trainer’s Scott Blasi, Darren Fleming, her main exercise rider Angel Garica, groom Gerardo Morales (Chocolate), and the entire Asmussen team for the devotion and care they provided each and every single day,” Bloom added. “I would also like to thank her regular rider, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who shared a very special bond with her, and was aboard for all five Grade I wins, as well as the other jockeys who were fortunate enough to climb aboard. Finally, a sincere thank you to all of Midnight Bisou’s legion of fans who have been extremely loyal with their support and love for our Champion throughout her career.”
Midnight Bisou was never out of the top three in her 22 career starts at 10 different racetracks, compiling a record of 13-6-3 and bankrolling $7,471,520. She has been sent to WinStar Farm where she will be turned out in the interim.
Trainer Brad Cox knows full well how tough graded stakes victories are to come by, so he will take the one by Warrior's Charge via disqualification in Saturday's Grade 3 $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park and move on.
With the stewards ruling that first-place finisher Pirate's Punch came in and intimidated Warrior's Charge late in the race at the Oceanport, N.J., track, Cox's horse earned the second graded stakes victory of his career after being placed first.
The 1 1/16-mile Iselin, reduced to a four-horse field after scratches, was essentially a two-horse race with Pirate's Punch, ridden by Jorge Vargas, Jr., and Warrior's Charge, handled by Paco Lopez, running neck and neck around the racetrack.
Pirate's Punch took a slight advantage in mid-stretch before starting to come over inside the sixteenth pole, with Warrior's Charge battling along the rail.
With 30 yards to go, Lopez stood straight up in the irons and effectively stopped riding, finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind the Grant Forster-trained Pirate's Punch. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Bal Harbour.
Final time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:43.37.
“He (Pirate's Punch) came in on me pretty good,” said Lopez. “I had to steady because of him. I had to completely stand up and stop riding. He came over. I think the stewards did the right thing. I had to completely stop riding my horse. I think my horse was still trying hard.
“I think if had a little room he would have come back to win because he's a fighter. You can see on the head-on how it bothered us and why I had to stop riding. That hole was there and then it closed very quickly when that horse came over on us.”
Gulliver Racing's Phil Bongiovanni, co-owner of Pirate's Punch, saw it differently.
Paco gets an Academy Award – he was never getting by. Thoroughly disappointing decision @MonmouthPark but so proud of Pirates Punch and his heart.
Warrior's Charge, who started his 4-year-old campaign by winning the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park, earned his fifth victory in 11 career starts. The son of Munnings-Battling Brook by Broken Vow is owned by Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables LLC.
“Paco had the horse where he needed to be, up close or on the lead,” said Cox. “Pirate's Punch took off after us and I thought we were able to battle back and get in front of him but I'm not sure he ever did, even though he hung in there with him. Maybe we were going to come back. Obviously the stewards thought we were. We were fortunate to come out on the front end of this. The horse that crossed the wire first ran a tremendous race. I honestly thought he was a horse to contend with and he obviously was.
“It's strange, because a couple of more jumps and we're probably third. It was an unfortunate way to win a race, I guess you could say. But we'll take. Now we'll see how he comes out of it.”
Cox said his ultimate goal with Warrior's Charge is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7. He hopes to find one more race before then.
“He will ship back to Kentucky tomorrow and we'll see how he is,” he said. “I think we'll look at one more race (before the Breeders' Cup Mile) but we'll see how he comes out of this first.”
Warrior's Charge paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite, dueling with Pirate's Punch through fractions of :24.10 for the opening quarter, :47.46 for the half, 1:11.17 for three quarters of a mile and 1:36.61 for the mile. They were never separated by more than a half-length until the incident in deep stretch.
