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Monomoy Girl Primed For Big Effort in Distaff, But Will It Be Her Last?

Two years since Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) won the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff and after a lost 2019, the 5-year-old mare is apparently doing so well that trainer Brad Cox said she is better now than she was in 2018 when she crossed the wire first in all seven of her races. That could mean a second Distaff win. Could it also mean that she will be back for a third try in 2021?

Monomoy Girl has been entered in the Fasig-Tipton November sale and it was widely believed that she would be retired after this year’s Breeders’ Cup. But on a teleconference Wednesday to announce the pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup, Cox said the possibility of her racing next year has been raised.

“I just think [the owners] have if it in the back of their minds that if she shows up and runs extremely well in the Distaff it could be a possibility that they’d like to campaign her in 2021,” Cox said. “Given the fact that she did not race as a 4-year-old, this is basically her 4-year-old season. For a mare who is five and about to turn six, she is somewhat lightly raced. I think a lot of it will hinge on what happens Breeders’ Cup day. I think there will be a meeting at some point after the Breeders’ Cup, either that night or the next day. At some point we are going to have to get a game plan ready. A lot of it will hinge on her performance Breeders’ Cup day.”

After her outstanding 3-year-old campaign, Monomoy Girl dealt with a few setbacks last year that kept her from making a start. The ownership group, which consists of Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group LLC, Monomoy Stables and Bethlehem Stables LLC, patiently waited for Cox to ger her ready for her return. She came back with a win in a May 16 allowance race at Churchill Downs and then won the GII Ruffian S. and the GI La Troienne S.

“As far as getting her back to the races it was a long road,” Cox said. “We had a couple of setbacks in ’19. For her to be able to compete at the Grade I level and win a Grade I was really amazing for us as a team. We feel like she is better this year than she was in 2018. It means a lot to us and our staff and the owners for her to not only make it back but to compete at the Grade I level.”

Monomoy Girl’s task in the Distaff will be made tougher if GI Preakness S. winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) runs in that race over the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 3-year-old filly has been pre-entered in both races, with the Distaff listed as the first preference. Trainer Ken McPeek said Wednesday that he and owner Peter Callahan have yet to choose which race she will go in, but he hinted that it may be the Distaff.

“We went ahead and took advantage of the fact she can pre-enter in both races without having to pay any fees,” McPeek said. “We figured we would take a look and see what the Classic looks like. We haven’t had an opportunity to sit down and study the past performances yet. We are going to do that in the next 24, 48 hours and get some clarity on what direction we will go in.

“I do think the Distaff is the first logical choice if you don’t know who all the competitors are in the Classic. It isn’t a decision set in stone yet. This gives us the ability to look and check out the other race. I have said all along the Distaff is the likely spot. But we are not going to rule out the other race until we’ve had a chance to analyze who all is running and how the pace scenario may set up. There is still a little bit of time and we don’t have to make a firm decision until the second of November, but I assume we will probably make it over the next couple or three days.”

McPeek said there were pluses and minuses when it came to both races.

“I really like her at a mile-and-a quarter,” he said. “That would be the pro for the Classic. But I also know it is a deeper race on paper. Another pro would be that she would get a bit of weight off [Swiss Skydiver would get a three-pound weight allowance in the Classic] in that race. That’s a couple of reasons to go in that direction. Monomoy Girl will definitely be the horse to beat in the Distaff. She is certainly a top filly, so you wouldn’t think that race would be easy. We have to study it and we will come to a conclusion soon.”

The Classic looks like the more imposing spot. The race has drawn a who’s who of the top male horse in training, including Authentic (Into Mischief), Improbable (City Zip), Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), Tiz the Law (Constitution) and Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike).

Cox said he would be excited to see Swiss Skydiver in the Distaff.

“I think it would be fantastic for racing if they were to meet up in the Distaff,” he said. “Obviously, you are talking about our horse already being a champion and that filly is definitely on the leader board and will probably take home champion 3-year-old filly honors this year. It would be a really good match up from the standpoint of being a fan. And I am a fan of racing and I think it would be a tremendous match up and I am looking forward to the possibility.”

The rest of the pre-entered field for the Distaff consists of Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), Dunbar Road (Quality Road), Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo), Horologist (Gemologist), Lady Kate (Bernardini), Ollie’s Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), Point of Honor (Curlin), Valiance (Tapit) and Harvey’s Lil Goil (American Pharoah), whose first preference is the GI Filly & Mare Turf.

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‘It’s Hard To Put Into Words’: Cox Grateful For Career-Boosting Champion Monomoy Girl

According to trainer Brad Cox, champion Monomoy Girl's is better this year than she was two years ago. The 2018 Eclipse Award winner returned from multiple setbacks and nearly 18 months away from the races to win this season's Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs, and she's back in next Saturday's G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff hoping for a repeat of her victory in the 2018 edition.

The 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar gave Cox his first Grade 1 win in the Ashland in April of 2018. Since then, even without Monomoy Girl in his barn for the entire 2019 season, Cox's career has skyrocketed; he has now won 15 Grade 1 races as a trainer.

“It's hard to put into words what she means to me,” Cox said on Wednesday's Breeders' Cup teleconference. “Monomoy Girl put us in a position to have an opportunity to have eight, maybe nine horses in the Breeders' Cup this year. Horses like her definitely kickstart your career and get you to a different level.”

Cox trains the potential favorites in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Essential Quality and Aunt Pearl.

Essential Quality, a 2-year-old son of Tapit owned by Godolphin, won the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 3.

“I think the sky's the limit with this horse,” Cox said. “He's had a race over the Keeneland track, he trained there a good bit of the summer, and he's had two nice works since his last race… I'm hoping he gets a good trip and he'll be in the mix.”

Aunt Pearl, a 2-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega, set a track record in the G2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland last out.

“She's a very fast filly who's able to carry her speed around two turns,” said Cox. “She had a really, really nice work last Friday at Churchill.”

In the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Cox may be represented by both Owendale and Knicks Go.

A Grade 1 winner at two, the now-4-year-old Knicks Go was transferred to Cox's stable over the winter. He's won a pair of allowance races this season, first at Oaklawn in February and last out at Keeneland, setting a track record on Oct. 4.

“We're 100 percent committed with Knicks Go,” Cox said. “He had a setback and minor surgery after the race in February, and there was talk of retiring him… When he came back he trained extremely well just like last winter, and he had his three-other-than condition. We took advantage of that at Keeneland, but we didn't expect him to break the track record. Obviously he loves Keeneland. Before that race, it never crossed my mind to run him in the Breeders' Cup. But after that performance… he has early speed and with the short stretch, I think he'll be a factor.”

The trainer isn't sure whether Owendale will start in the Breeders' Cup. The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief was most recently second in the G3 Pimlico Special, and may alternatively target the G1 Clark at the end of the Churchill Downs November meet.

“Owendale worked well with Monomoy Girl last week, and I feel like he's doing well,” Cox said. “If we don't land in the Dirt Mile, we'll go in the Clark.”

Cox's other Breeders' Cup entrants are: Abarta (Juvenile Turf), Beau Recall (Mile), Factor This (Mile), and Arklow (Turf).

In terms of Monomoy Girl, the mare has been entered in the Nov. 8 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Cox left the door open, however, when asked if she might return to race again in 2021.

“A lot of Monomoy Girl's future depends on her performance on Breeders' Cup day,” Cox said. “It was a long road, we had a couple of setbacks in '19, and took a lot from our staff and for everybody involved with her to get her back to compete and to win a Grade 1. We feel like she's better this year than she was in '18.”

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Monomoy Girl, Swiss Skydiver, Tom’s D’Etat Breeze At Churchill Downs

Saturday's work tab at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., was filled with star power with many of the nation's top contenders logging their penultimate workouts before the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland. Among the stars to work Saturday included champion Monomoy Girl (six furlongs, 1:12), Preakness (GI) winner Swiss Skydiver (four furlongs, :47.80) and Grade I winner Tom's d'Etat (six furlongs, 1:12.80).

On Saturday, trainer Brad Cox's barn worked five of their nine probable runners in this year's Breeders' Cup. Most notably taking to the track was superstar mare Monomoy Girl. The likely favorite in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) worked with her regular pilot Florent Geroux aboard and started about one length behind stablemate Owendale. Owned by Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables, Monomoy Girl swiftly worked through eighth-mile splits of :12, :24.40, :36.20, :47.80 and 1:00. Monomoy Girl galloped out in front of Owendale through seven furlongs in 1:26.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Owendale completed his six-furlong move one second slower than Monomoy Girl in 1:13.

“Anyone you put with Monomoy, she seems to always out-work them,” Geroux said. “She's worked with a lot of really good horses in the past and Owendale is a really good horse. She just always gets the better of them.”

“There's not much really to say about her other than she's just really, really, really good right now,” Cox added. “We'll see what the future holds for her but as a 5-year-old she's showing how mature she's become.”

Cox's morning started at 5:30 a.m. when Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway's $2.4 million earner Arklow worked outside of stablemate Plainsman through splits of :12.60, :24.80 and :47.80. Plainsman completed five furlongs in :59.80. Arklow, who was ridden by Geroux, continued to gallop out around the clubhouse turn in front with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:11.80. The $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf (GI) will mark Arklow's 30th career start but only the second with the addition of blinkers.

“I wish I would've added the blinkers in start 19 instead of 29,” Cox joked. “He's really turned the corner since we put them on for the Kentucky Turf Cup Classic (G3) last out. This year has been interesting with this horse. He ran a good race in June (in the $100,000 Louisville) and we ran him back in the Elkhorn where he didn't run bad but I had the not-so-great idea of sticking him on a plane and running six days later at Monmouth (in the G1, $315,000 United Nations). After he finished fourth that day, I said we have to make a change and add blinkers. It really worked out in the Kentucky Turf Cup, which in and of itself turned out to be a really interesting race when there was a torrential downpour before the running of the race.”

Immediately following Arklow's move, Cox worked Korea Racing Authority's four-time winner Knicks Go, who recently cruised to a 10 1/4-length score at Keeneland in a conditioned allowance event. The gray son of Paynter worked solo through early fractions of :24.40 and :48 with a six-furlong gallop out of 1:12.80.

“This horse has really come around,” Cox said. “I hope we can get into the Dirt Mile because I think he will really like two-turns and have a pace advantage with his stamina.”

Also in the first set of Cox horses was Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing's recent $350,000 First Lady (GI) runner-up Beau Recall (IRE), who is likely to face the males in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (GI). She worked by herself through fractions of :13.20 and :25.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.80.

In Cox's next set he worked Gaining Ground Racing's 12-time winner Factor This, who easily breezed through splits of :13, :25.40 and :49.20. The recent winner of the $250,000 Dinner Party (GII) worked outside of stablemate Gold Standard.

The fastest recorded five-furlong move of the morning came from Allied Racing Stable's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) contender By My Standards when he whipped through fractions of :12, :23.40 and :34.80 with jockey Gabriel Saez aboard. The duo galloped out six furlongs in 1:11 and completed seven furlongs in 1:24.80.

“Last week was the first work we did a little bit something serious with him (since he won the Alysheba),” Calhoun said. “He was full of energy and bounced around great after it. It's been a different year for sure losing a few races here or there. We were fortunate to have (the Alysheba) on the undercard of the rescheduled Derby. We probably could've shipped somewhere around the country but our goal was how to get him to the Breeders' Cup Classic. We decided to stay here run in the Alysheba and point to the Breeders' Cup from there.

“Some really good horses look like they're coming together (for the Classic) and horses that have beaten us. Tom's d'Etat beat us (at Churchill in the Stephen Foster). I have a ton of respect for him. Maximum Security hasn't done anything wrong in his career. It's a top group of horses that we'll have to turn the tables on them. … I think By My Standards has been very consistent this year and has gotten better as the months have gone on.”

The aforementioned Tom's d'Etat, who has been off since his troubled third-place effort in the $750,000 Whitney (GI) in early August, continued his serious preparation for the Classic with a solid six-furlong move under jockey Miguel Mena. The duo worked with stablemate Oak Hill. Tom's d'Etat, owned by G M B Racing, worked through splits of :12.20, :23.80, :47.20 and 1:00. Oak Hill completed five furlongs in 1:01.

“The schedule with the pandemic got a little awkward with everyone,” Stall said. “The races didn't quite work out in the calendar quite right for him. My gut feeling said to go into the Classic fresh anyway and when the last round of stakes races came out I didn't like the way they were placed so we stuck with the plan to train up to the race.”

Just before Tom's d'Etat worked, a trio of horses from the Kenny McPeek barn worked solo for the Breeders' Cup. Among them was recent $1 million Preakness Stakes (GI) heroine Swiss Skydiver. With Robby Albarado in the saddle, the classy 3-year-old filly breezed through fractions of :12.40 and :24.40.

“She was pulling today and feeling really good with the cool weather,” Albarado said. “No complaints, she feels amazing. … I'm going to gallop her the last five days before the race as I did at Pimlico. We're going to see how she's doing and make a decision (about the Classic or Distaff) from there.”

Robby Albarado on Swiss Skydiver: “She feels amazing.”

McPeek also worked $1 million Juvenile Fillies (GI) probables Simply Ravishing and Crazy Beautiful. The one-two finishers, respectively, in the $350,000 Alcibiades (GI) had eerily similar workouts. Crazy Beautiful worked through fractions of :12.20 and :24.20, while Simply Ravishing went :12.20 and :24.40.

The Saturday morning action completed around 9:20 a.m. with CJ Thoroughbreds, Left Turn Racing and Casner Racing's $500,000 Derby City Distaff (GI) third-place runner Sally's Curlin who breezed through opening splits of :12.40, :24, :36.40 and :48.40. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40.

Starting on Friday at Churchill Downs, there will be a special training period for Breeders' Cup contenders from 7:30-7:45 a.m. The special training session is scheduled to run through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The full list of Breeders' Cup contenders that worked Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included the following horses:

Horse	Trainer	Distance, Time	Breeders' Cup Race
Arklow	Brad Cox	Five Furlongs, :59.60	Turf
Beau Recall	Brad Cox	Five Furlongs, :50.60	Mile
By My Standards	Bret Calhoun	Five Furlongs, :58.60	Classic
Crazy Beautiful	Kenny McPeek	Four Furlongs, :48	Juvenile Fillies
Factor This	Brad Cox	Five Furlongs, 1:02	Mile
Global Campaign	Stan Hough	Four Furlongs, :48	Classic
Knicks Go	Brad Cox	Five Furlongs, 1:00.20	Dirt Mile
Monomoy Girl	Brad Cox	Six Furlongs, 1:12	Distaff
Sally's Curlin	Dale Romans	Five Furlongs, 1:01.40	Filly & Mare Sprint
Simply Ravishing	Kenny McPeek	Four Furlongs, :48	Juvenile Fillies
Spanish Loveaffair	Mark Casse	Five Furlongs, 1:04.20	Juvenile Fillies Turf
Swiss Skydiver	Kenny McPeek	Four Furlongs, :47.80	Distaff/Classic
Tom's d'Etat	Al Stall Jr.	Six Furlongs, 1:12.80	Classic

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Breeders’ Cup Contenders Light Up Saturday’s Worktab

The worktab at Churchill Downs Saturday morning was replete with many of racing’s biggest names scheduled to make an upcoming start during next month’s Breeders’ Cup, including champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), GI Preakness S. heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Grade I-winner Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike).

Targeting the Distaff, the 2018 3-year-old champion filly completed six furlongs in 1:12. Working in tandem with GSW and GISP Owendale (Into Mischief, 6f 1:13), the 5-year-old carved out eighth-mile splits of :12, :24.40, :36.20, :47.80 and 1:00, galloping out in front of her stablemate in 1:26.40 for seven furlongs.

“Anyone you put with Monomoy, she seems to always out work them,” said Florent Geroux, the chestnut’s regular partner. “She’s worked with a lot of really good horses in the past and Owendale is a really good horse. She just always gets the better of them.”

Added trainer Brad Cox, “There’s not much really to say about her other than she’s just really, really, really good right now. We’ll see what the future holds for her, but as a 5-year-old, she’s showing how mature she’s become.”

Cox’s morning started at 5:30 a.m. Arklow (Arch)worked outside of GSW Plainsman (Flatter) through splits of :12.60, :24.80 and :47.80. Plainsman completed five furlongs in :59.80. Arklow, accompanied by Geroux, galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.80. The GI Breeders’ Cup Turf will mark Arklow’s 30th career start, but only the second with the addition of blinkers.

“I wish I would’ve added the blinkers in start 19 instead of 29,” Cox joked. “He’s really turned the corner since we put them on for the [Sept. 12 GIII] Kentucky Turf Cup Classic last out. This year has been interesting with this horse. He ran a good race in June (in the $100,000 Louisville) and we ran him back in the Elkhorn where he didn’t run bad but I had the not-so-great idea of sticking him on a plane and running six days later at Monmouth (in the Grade I, $315,000 United Nations). After he finished fourth that day, I said we have to make a change and add blinkers. It really worked out in the Kentucky Turf Cup, which in and of itself turned out to be a really interesting race when there was a torrential downpour before the running of the race.”

Also in the first set of Cox horses was GI First Lady S. runner-up Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who appears likely to face the males in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. She worked by herself through fractions of :13.20 and :25.60, galloping out five furlongs in 1:03.80.

Among the leaders of this season’s crop of sophomore fillies, the Oct. 3 Classic winning Swiss Skydiver continued her march toward Breeders’ Cup day with a four-furlong move in :47.80. With Robby Albarado in the saddle, the Ken McPeek-trained filly breezed through initial fractions of :12.40 and :24.40.

“She was pulling today and feeling really good with the cool weather,” said Albarado. “No complaints, she feels amazing…I’m going to gallop her the last five days before the race as I did at Pimlico. We’re going to see how she’s doing and make a decision [about the Classic or Distaff] from there.”

McPeek also worked Juvenile Fillies probables Simply Ravishing and Crazy Beautiful. The one-two finishers, respectively, in the GI Alcibiades S. worked separately, posting internal fractions of :12.20 and :24.20, and capping off the move in :48 flat.

Tom’s d’Etat, who has been off since a troubled third in the Aug. 1 GI Whitney S. in early August, posted a solid six-furlong move under jockey Miguel Mena in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. Breezing in tandem with Oak Hill (Distorted Humor), last year’s GI Clark winner worked six panels in 1:12.80, with internal splits of :12.20, :23.80, :47.20 and 1:00. Oak Hill completed five furlongs in 1:01.

“The schedule with the pandemic got a little awkward with everyone,” trainer Al Stall Jr. said. “The races didn’t quite work out in the calendar quite right for him. My gut feeling said to go into the Classic fresh anyway and when the last round of stakes races came out, I didn’t like the way they were placed so we stuck with the plan to train up to the race.”

The fastest recorded five-furlong dirt breeze of the morning was registered by Classic contender By My Standards (Goldencents), who completed the task in a crisp :58.60. Rolling through initial fractions of :12, :23.40 and :34.80 with jockey Gabriel Saez aboard, the winner of the Sept. 4 GII Alysheba S. galloped out six furlongs in 1:11 and rounding out seven panels in 1:24.80.

“Last week was the first work we did a little bit something serious with him [since he won the Alysheba],” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “He was full of energy and bounced around great after it. It’s been a different year for sure losing a few races here or there. We were fortunate to have [the Alysheba] on the undercard of the rescheduled Derby. We probably could’ve shipped somewhere around the country, but our goal was how to get him to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. We decided to stay here run in the Alysheba and point to the Breeders’ Cup from there.

Also making an appearance on Saturday’s worktab at Churchill, recent GI Woodward H. winner Global Campaign (4f, :48; Classic), GII Dinner Party S. scorer Factor This (The Factor) (5f, 1:02; Mile), 2018 GI Breeders’ Futurity winner Knicks Go (Paynter) (5f, 1:00.20; Dirt Mile), GSW Sally’s Curlin (Curlin) (4f, 1:01.40; Filly & Mare Sprint), and Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) (5f, 1:04.20; Juvenile Fillies Turf).

At Keeneland in Lexington Saturday morning, a trio of hopefuls also continued preparations for the Breeders’ Cup. Chief among them was Jesus’ Team (Tapiture), who breezed five panels over a muddy track in 1:00.80 in advance of the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Grade I winner Ollie’s Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), who is slated to contest the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“It was a good work and he will come back again next Saturday [Oct. 31] and work a half-mile,” said trainer Jose D’Angelo. “I have only been in this country a year. I have not been here to race, but I have been to the sales.”

Third in the Preakness, the former claimer also finished third in the GII Jim Dandy S. Sept. 5.

Ollie’s Candy, runner-up in her latest start in the Oct. 4 GI Juddmonte Spinster S., will try to improve on a fourth in last season’s Distaff. The first worker over the freshly harrowed track at 7:30 a.m., the John Sadler-trainee posted a bullet five furlongs in :59 over a muddy track. The 5-year-old reeled off internal splits of :23, :47.40, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60. Juan Levya, assistant to Sadler, was aboard.

“She got over the track really well and galloped out well,” Leyva said.

Ollie’s Candy has been cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect (Book 1, Hip 83) in Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale. The sale begins Nov. 9.

Following Keeneland’s second morning renovation break Saturday, Bellafina (Quality Road), who is expected to make her next start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, worked five furlongs on her own in 1:00.60 with Nick Bush aboard.

Second in the Filly and Mare Sprint to champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) last year, Bellafina posted fractions of :11.40, :23, :35.40, 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20.

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