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Monomoy Girl Takes On ‘Bisou Upsetter Vexatious In Friday’s La Troienne

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables' Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, headlines of a field of eight for Friday's 35th running of the $500,000 La Troienne presented by Oak Grove Racing & Gaming (GI) at Churchill Downs.

The La Troienne, for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, is one of six graded stakes on Friday's 13-race program that begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) and is headlined by the 146th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). The La Troienne will go as the day's 11th race with a 4:50 p.m. post time.

Also on the program is the 17th running of the $400,000 Alysheba presented by Sentient Jet (GII) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the 65th running of the $300,000 Eight Belles presented by TwinSpires.com (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the main track, the 36th running of the $300,000 Edgewood presented by Forcht Bank (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf and the 26th running of the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (GII) for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.

Trained by Brad Cox, Monomoy Girl has won five Grade I races in her career that has produced more than $3 million in earnings. Two of her biggest victories came at Churchill Downs where she won the 2018 Kentucky Oaks and the 2018 Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI).

Winner of the Ruffian (GII) in her most recent start, Monomoy Girl will be ridden in the La Troienne by Florent Geroux and break from post position eight.

Among the competition lined up to face Monomoy Girl is defending champion She's a Julie and Vexatious, who upset Midnight Bisou in Saratoga's Personal Ensign (GI) on Aug. 1.

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim and Anna Cambron, Denali Stud, Rigney Racing and Madaket Stables' She's a Julie notched her second Grade I victory in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont in June. Trained by Steve Asmussen, She's a Julie will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position six.

Calumet Farm's Vexatious, fourth in the 2017 Kentucky Oaks in her lone main track try at Churchill Downs, was second in the Ruffian to Monomoy Girl before winning the Personal Ensign. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Vexatious will break from post position two under Tyler Gaffalione.

The field for the La Troienne, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Horologist (John Velazquez, 120 pounds), Vexatious (Gaffalione, 123), With Dignity (Julien Leparoux, 118), Saracosa (Martin Garcia, 118), Risky Mandate (David Cohen, 118), She's a Julie (Santana Jr., 123), Lady Kate (Javier Castellano, 118) and Monomoy Girl (Geroux, 123).

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2020 Longines Kentucky Oaks Cheat Sheet

There has been much discussion about the ramifications of shifting the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve from the first Saturday in May to Sept. 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the calendar change for the Longines Kentucky Oaks also had a major impact on the shape of the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Key Takeaways from the Weekend: Final Derby Works and Breeders’ Cup Preps

Tom Pedulla presents five takeaways from the weekend in horse racing, including Kentucky Derby preparations and the results of the Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga and other major races:

Breeze On By Leads 1-2-3-4 Finish For Stonehedge In FSS Affirmed

Breeze On By led a 1-2-3-4 finish for Stonehedge LLC at Gulfstream Park with a commanding 7 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $200,000 Affirmed, the second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla..

The Affirmed, a seven furlong open division, co-headlined Saturday's program with the $200,000 Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies, which were supported by the $75,000 Proud Truth, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, and the $75,000 Sharp Susan, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies. All four stakes were included in the six-race sequence of the Rainbow 6 on a day when a mandatory payout was held.

Trainer Ralph Nicks, who saddled Breeze On By for a victory in the $100,000 Dr. Fager in the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes four weeks earlier, won his fourth consecutive running of the Affirmed. The son of Cajun Breeze also gave Nicks his eighth Florida Sire Stakes success since 2016 while providing Gil Campbell's Stonehedge Farm with a 15^th victory in the tradition-rich series.

“I just feel blessed to be in Florida for seven years and win this many [Sire] Series,” said Nicks, who also captured the Affirmed the previous three seasons with Soutache (2017), Garter and Tie (2018) and Liam's Lucky Charm (2019). “I learned early on that you need to be a part of this and was lucky to have owners send me some talented horses and it's worked.”

The Nicks-trained Big Daddy Dave and Seazan finished second and third, respectively, while the Kathleen O'Connell-trained Top Boss finished fourth to round out the Stonehedge superfecta.

Breeze On By, the 4-5 favorite ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, broke alertly from the starting gate but was beaten for the early lead by Gatsby, the 5-2 second choice who showed the way along the backstretch under a hustling ride by Hector Berrios. Breeze On By pressed the pace during swift fractions of 22.14 and 44.22 for the first half mile before putting away the tiring pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch and drawing away to a comfortable victory.

Breeze On By, undefeated in three starts, ran seven furlongs in 1:22.75. Big Daddy Dave made a wide bid of the final turn and finished second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of a late-rallying Seazan.

“They're nice horses. Thank you to Stonehedge for sending us some great horses. We're lucky to work with such talented horses,” Nicks said. “Breeze On By was able to rate and sit there with Big Daddy Dave in the hunt and could have pushed if he needed to, but he will settle and follow if he needs to.}

Breeze On By is scheduled to make a bid to become the fifth male to sweep the Florida Sire Stakes in the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile series finale Sept. 26. With a victory he would join Three Rules (2016), Sir Oscar (2003), Seacliff (1995) and Smile (1984)

“Doing this series is tough on them and we'll see. There are two other horses in this race that ran well so nothing will be a gift, but it's nice to have a horse this talented and have those options in front of you.”

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