Monomoy Girl | Horse Racing Free Tips

Monomoy Girl Makes Highly Anticipated Return in Bayakoa

Dual champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) makes her highly anticipated seasonal debut–albeit two weeks later than planned–Saturday in the delayed GIII Bayakoa S. at Oaklawn.

Named champion 3-year-old filly after a sensational 2018 season, the chestnut was a perfect four-for-four last term after spending all of 2019 on the sidelines due to colic and a hamstring injury. Returning from an 18-month layoff at Churchill May 16, Monomoy Girl scored a decisive victory in a sloppy optional claimer and captured Belmont's GII Ruffian S. next out July 11. A facile winner of the GI La Troienne S. at Churchill Sept. 4, she clinched her second Eclipse award with another victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7. Sent through the ring across town at Fasig-Tipton the very next day, Monomoy Girl was the star of the show, topping the sale on a $9.5-million bid from Spendthrift Farm and was returned to the Brad Cox barn for a 2021 campaign. In the interim, original owner Sol Kumin of Madaket Stables bought back in as co-owner and My Racehorse has also joined in as a lease partner.

This event will likely be bet as a one-horse affair, but the second best horse on paper is Finite (Munnings). Winner of the GII Rachel Alexandra S. last term, the chestnut was shelved after finishing fourth in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks in March. Trying turf in her return to action in the Music City S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 15, the $200,000 EASMAY buy showed the grass was not for her, finishing 11th. Missing by a neck to another daughter of Munnings in Venetian Harbor in Keeneland's GII Raven Run S. Oct. 17, Finite made amends with a win in the GIII Chilukki S. at Churchill Nov. 21 and rallied to be fourth in the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26.

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Weekend Lineup: Trio Of Eclipse Award Winners Back In Action

Three Eclipse Award winners will be in action this weekend with reigning juvenile male champion Essential Quality – the top-ranked horse on the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll – headlining the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, champion 2-year-old filly Vequist making her seasonal bow in the Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and champion older dirt female Monomoy Girl getting her 6-year-old campaign started in Sunday's Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn. In addition, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will is set to be part of the field of 10 in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, which will anchor Saturday's 14-race program with nine stakes at Gulfstream Park.

America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will air eight total hours of live racing coverage this weekend encompassing action from Aqueduct Racetrack, Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park.

Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, America's Day at the Races will broadcast from 2-7 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS2, while Sunday will feature coverage on FS2 from 4-5 p.m. with FS1 airing the program from 5-7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 27

12:26 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park on TVG

We Got This Stables' I Get It will go for her first graded-stakes victory in Saturday's Herecomesthebride, a 1 1/16-miles turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies. I Get It has won four of her last five starts by a combined 14 ¾ lengths in going-away fashion while demonstrating an explosive late kick and a distinct fondness for the Gulfstream turf course. She broke through with a five-length maiden victory while not being equipped with the blinkers she wore in her first two unsuccessful starts. She came right back to capture a pair of optional claiming allowances at Gulfstream Park West before lacking her usual late kick in a fourth-place finish in the Jan. 2 Ginger Brew at Gulfstream. She bounced back with a sharp three-length optional claiming allowance score in her most recent start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA3-EQB.html

12:55 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park on TVG

It's all about threes when trainer Mike Maker sends out the trio of Aquaphobia, Temple and Tide of the Sea in search of a third consecutive victory in Saturday's 1 3/8-miles Mac Diarmida for older turf horses. Aquaphobia became a Grade 1 winner in last summer's United Nations at Monmouth, coming five starts since being claimed for $62,500 last winter at Gulfstream and run at the Mac Diarmida distance. This will be the seventh consecutive race facing graded company for Aquaphobia, who exits an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA4-EQB.html

2:53 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park on FS2 and TVG

After two uncharacteristic off-the-board performances, Fancy Liquor steps right back into graded stakes company Saturday in the 54th running of Canadian Turf Stakes. Fancy Liquor, bred and owned by Louisville Ky.-based Skychai Racing and partners, had a very good 3-year-old season in 2020 for trainer Mike Maker. The son of Lookin at Lucky won three of eight starts – topped by a victory in the Grade 2 American Turf – and earned $497,187. His run of seven-straight in-the-money finishes to begin his career ended with a fifth in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream. In his most recent start, he was sixth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA8-EQB.html

3:27 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes at Gulfstream Park on FS2 and TVG

Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer, who captured the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper, will seek to produce an encore performance in Saturday's Gulfstream Park Mile. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old son of Speightstown is slated to top a field of seven older horses in the one-turn mile event. Joel Rosario worked out a winning trip aboard Performer after breaking from the rail post position in the Hooper, also run at a one-turn mile. Pinned down on the rail along the backstretch, Performer was swung to the outside on the turn into the homestretch and out-battled Eye of a Jedi to the wire to win by a neck.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA9-EQB.html

4:20 p.m.—$600,000 Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park on FS2 and TVG

Multiple graded stakes winner Owendale aims to halt a five-race skid when he faces six challengers in the 1 1/16-miles Razorback. Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale hasn't visited the winner's circle since taking the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs last May 23 but did finish third last time out in the Grade 1 Clark Stakes on Nov. 27. Among the top challengers the son of Into Mischief is set to face is Mystic Guide, winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes last year and runner-up in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last October.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP022721USA7-EQB.html

4:29 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream Park on FS2 and TVG

Grade 1 winner Got Stormy will begin her fifth and final season of racing Saturday in the one-mile Honey Fox for fillies and mares 4 and up. Got Stormy will be returning to Gulfstream for the first time since winning an optional claiming allowance in March 2019. It is where the daughter of Grade 3 turf-winning mare Malabar Gold broke her maiden in her third lifetime start in February 2018. Given a freshening following her fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 7, Get Stormy joined trainer Mark Casse's string at Palm Meadows, where she has breezed five times since mid-January.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA11-EQB.html

5:04 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park on FS2 and TVG

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's Vequist, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020, is set to launch her highly anticipated sophomore season against 11 rivals in Saturday's Davona Dale. Vequist, the 7-5 favorite in the Davona Dale, was the first champion for her trainer, Parx-based veteran Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr., who is approaching his 800th victory in a career that began in 1985. Vequist will be cutting back for her first race since a two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6 at Keeneland, a span of 114 days.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA12-EQB.html

5:36 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park on FS2 and TVG

Heavenly Curlin, already a graded stakes winner on Woodbine's synthetic surface, will have another test on grass Saturday in the The Very One Stakes. Though her pedigree suggests that she ought to fancy turf, Gary Barber and John Oxley's 4-year-old filly, a $625,000 yearling purchase, is winless in her two tries on the surface, both at Gulfstream. In her most recent start, she was fifth in the Grade 3, 1 ½ miles La Prevayonte on Jan. 23. She will cut back in distance in The Very One to 1 3/16-miles.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA13-EQB.html

5:58 p.m.—$750,000 Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on FS2 and TVG

Godolphin's unbeaten homebred Essential Quality will be making his first start since clinching an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old male in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile when he heads up the field for the Southwest Stakes, which offers 10 qualifying points to the winner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Essential Quality earned his Eclipse Award after winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3 at Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile there on Nov. 6. The son of Tapit will break from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile race. The Southwest and Bayakoa were originally scheduled to be run Feb. 15 before being postponed twice because of severe winter weather.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP022721USA10-EQB.html

6:10 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on FS2 and TVG

Courtlandt Farms' Greatest Honour, already a prime prospect on the strength of his dominating victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes, will take a significant step along the Road to the Triple Crown in Saturday's Fountain of Youth, which distributes Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the top four finishers. Greatest Honour, who broke his maiden in his fourth career start Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, rallied from seventh in a field of nine to draw away by 5 ¾ lengths under Jose Ortiz in the 1 1/16-miles Holy Bull. The son of Tapit has shown trainer Shug McGaughey all the signs that he has moved forward in his training at Payson Park since his winning stakes debut.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP022721USA14-EQB.html

Sunday, Feb. 28

6:11 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park on FS1 and TVG

Two-time Eclipse Award champion Monomoy Girl will be making her first start since winning the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff when she begins her 6-year-old season as the heavy favorite in the Bayakoa Stakes. A winner of 13 of 15 career starts, Monomoy Girl was an Eclipse Award winner for champion 3-year-old filly in 2018 and captured champion older dirt female honors in 2020 after missing all of her 4-year-old season due to illness and injury. She drew the outside post 6 for the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa, a major local prep for the $1 million, Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap on April 17.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP022821USA9-EQB.html

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Monomoy Girl’s Return Anchors Sunday Edition Of Cross Country Pick 5

The return of Champion Older Dirt Female Monomoy Girl in the Grade 3 Bayakoa from Oaklawn Park anchors Sunday's Cross Country Pick 5, hosted by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), featuring racing action from the Hot Springs, Arkansas-based oval and Aqueduct Racetrack.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/cross-country-wagers.

The sequence begins in Race 7 at Aqueduct (4:25 p.m. Eastern) with a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming race for older horses. Dennis Drazin's multiple graded stakes winning veteran Sunny Ridge, winner of the Grade 3 Withers in 2016, will try to make amends in his second start off a 12 ½-month layoff on February 4 when finishing a distant fourth. Trainer James Ferraro sends out Letmetakethiscall, who puts a three-race win streak on the line when facing colts.

Eight sophomore fillies assemble for the $150,000 Dixie Belle going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park [Race 6, 4:39 p.m.]. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will saddle Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Abrogate, who defeated winners at the same track on January 24 after a career debut victory on November 12 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Uncle Mo is out of the Burning Roma mare Hot Coffee and is from the same family as 2010 Champion Sprinter Big Drama as well as Grade 1-winner Sheer Drama. Fox Hill Farm's Windmill will attempt to replicate her gate-to-wire four-length maiden victory for trainer Larry Jones.

Action moves back to New York for the middle leg of the sequence, where West Point Thoroughbreds' Black 'n Tan sports blinkers and takes a drop in class for a $20,000 tag in a six-furlong maiden claiming race. The Asmussen-trained son of Elusive Quality last raced for a $40,000 tag and makes his fourth lifetime start. Ask Neal, who previously raced against stakes-placed Overtook and Return the Ring in maiden special weight events, will drop to his lowest level yet for trainer John Toscano, Jr. Carded as the finale of the Big A's eight-race card, the middle leg will have a post of 4:55 p.m.

A field of a dozen Arkansas-bred fillies and mares assemble for the $100,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders' [Race 8, 5:41 p.m.] and is headlined by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's defending champion Bye Bye J. The daughter of Uncaptured takes blinkers off for Asmussen as she targets her fifth stakes victory. Shortleaf Stable's The Mary Rose attempts two straight wins after winning a six-furlong allowance on January 30 at Oaklawn Park.

Closing out the sequence is the anticipated return of two-time champion Monomoy Girl in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Brad Cox and owned by B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm, MyRacehorse Stable, and Madaket Stable, Monomoy Girl has put together a career ledger of 15-13-2-0, comprising of seven Grade 1 victories across four different racetracks and over $4.4 million in earnings. The daughter of Tapizar won two non-consecutive editions of the Breeders' Cup Distaff capturing the 2018 running to seal up Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors. She did the same when taking last year's Distaff at Keeneland and was subsequently named Champion Older Dirt Female. The Bayakoa will go off as Race 9 at Oaklawn Park with a 6:11 p.m. post.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Sunday February 28:
Leg A: Aqueduct – Race 7 (4:25 p.m.)
Leg B: Oaklawn – Race 6, $150,000 Dixie Belle (4:39 p.m.)
Leg C: Aqueduct – Race 8 (4:55 p.m.)
Leg D: Oaklawn – Race 8, $150,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders' (5:41 p.m.)
Leg E: Oaklawn – Race 9, Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa (6:11 p.m.)

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Spendthrift Attempting To ‘Repeat History’ With Champion Monomoy Girl

Mark Toothaker's first trip to Oaklawn was almost 35 years ago. But, he can still cite the details as if it happened yesterday and not March 6, 1982.

Toothaker was 15, too young in those days for legal admission, but he slipped through the gates with a group of family and friends and was immediately encouraged to make his first bet, which, in this case, was the daily double. Ditching any formal handicapping techniques like speed figures, class ratings or trip notes, Toothaker said he was advised to simply bet his age, meaning the numbers were 1 and 5.

“The very first race, I can remember it to this day,” Toothaker said. “Larry Snyder was on a huge favorite and wound up pulling up in the race and Don Von Hemel won it with a horse named Rimrod. He was the 1 horse. The very next race, Larry Snyder comes right back after having bad luck in the first race and rides Goldie's Son, the 5 horse, to win and it (daily double) paid $375. I've been ruined ever since.”

Toothaker will be returning to Oaklawn this weekend, not as a green handicapper, but still seeking another double of sorts. Toothaker is the stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky's famed racing and breeding operation that will be represented by Jackie's Warrior in Saturday's $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and Monomoy Girl in Sunday's $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares.

Spendthrift owns the breeding rights to Jackie's Warrior, a multiple Grade 1 winner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The stakes are much higher for Monomoy Girl, a Brad Cox trainee who will be making her first start since Spendthrift purchased the multiple Eclipse Award winner for an eye-popping $9.5 million in November at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale.

“It'll be fun,” Toothaker said. “First start back. We'll see. But the way she's trained and everything Brad has said is she's sitting on go. It will be exciting to get her back to the races.”

Toothaker, 54, grew up in Van Buren, Ark., about 130 miles northwest of Oaklawn. After entering the game in 1986 walking hots for trainer Joe Cantey, Toothaker gradually climbed the industry ladder. He eventually owned a small breeding farm near Van Buren, migrated to Kentucky in 2004 to work for prominent breeder Allen Poindexter and has worked for Spendthrift since 2011.

Founded by B. Wayne Hughes, Spendthrift has campaigned, among others, four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder and 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic solely or in partnership. Its breeding side features approximately 20 stallions, including Authentic, and 100 broodmares. One of those broodmares is Beholder, whose gaudy resume includes Eclipse Awards in 2012 (champion 2-year-old filly), 2013 (3-year-old filly), 2015 (older dirt female) and 2016 (older dirt female), 18 victories from 26 lifetime starts and earnings of $6,156,600. She won the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in 2013 and 2016, the latter as a 6-year-old.

Monomoy Girl, who will join Spendthrift's broodmare band upon retirement, has similar credentials. She was an Eclipse Award winner in 2018 (3-year-old filly) and 2020 (older dirt female), cementing championships in both years with victories in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Monomoy Girl is 13 of 15 overall and has lifetime earnings of $4,426,818. Spendthrift opted to keep Monomoy Girl in training with Cox after securing her for a price just short of the $10 million brought by Havre de Grace, a reported North American record for a broodmare sold at public auction, during the same sale in 2012.

“Eric did all the bidding,” Toothaker said, referring to Spendthrift owner Eric Gustavson. “We were just right there cheerleading with him as he was bidding. My heart was racing 90 miles an hour, hoping that we could get her because she's just a treasure. She's just one of those priceless fillies that you just dream about having a chance to be involved with.”

Monomoy Girl will be making her first start since a 1 ¾-length victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Spendthrift purchased the now-6-year-old daughter of Tapizar the following day.

“I just think Mr. Hughes, since everything was good with her and that she was sound and everything, he wanted to be able to bring her back to the races,” Toothaker said. “We had so much fun with Beholder, her 6-year-old year, and just felt like we wanted to try to recapture that moment. See if we couldn't repeat history and do what Beholder did – put her out on top as a Breeders' Cup champion, back to back. It would be just amazing.”

The 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa is a major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17, which is Monomoy Girl's major spring objective, Cox said.

“When I first saw that, the Bayakoa and the Apple Blossom, I was just thrilled to death,” Toothaker said. “I'm always rooting for everybody to make your path through Oaklawn, for sure.”

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