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Monomoy Girl Retired

Two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar–Drumette, by Henny Hughes) has been retired from racing after she was discovered to have sustained an injury during training Tuesday at Churchill Downs, co-owner Spendthrift Farm announced Wednesday.

“Monomoy Girl went out for a routine gallop Tuesday morning and came back a little off in her right front leg. We had it x-rayed and found a non-displaced fracture of the sesamoid. Obviously, we're very disappointed,” said trainer Brad Cox. “She's walking sound today and it's not anything that will require surgery. It's just unfortunate that it will end her racing career.”

Purchased by Liz Crow for just $100,000 at Keeneland September, Monomoy Girl captured her first three races as a juvenile in 2017, including the Rags to Riches S., for an ownership group that included Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin's Monomoy Stables, Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables. Runner-up in the GII Golden Rod S. that season, she returned to winning ways in 2018, capturing the GII Rachel Alexandra S. and GI Central Bank Ashland S. A facile winner of the GI Kentucky Oaks, the chestnut took both the GI Acorn S. and GI CCA Oaks and crossed the line first in the GI Cotillion S., but was disqualified for interference and placed second. She got the best of her older rivals in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff that season, clinching her first Eclipse Award in the process.

Monomoy Girl missed the 2019 season due to colic and a hamstring injury, but returned victorious in 2020, capturing a Churchill optional claimer that May. Following suit with wins in Belmont's GII Ruffian S. and Churchill's GI La Troienne S., she ran to the money in the Distaff, defeating Valiance (Tapit) by 1 3/4 lengths, and earned her second Eclipse award.

Sent through the ring at Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars in November, Monomoy Girl summoned a whopping $9.5 million from Spendthrift Farm. My Racehorse joined in as a partner as did one of her original owners Sol Kumin, this time under his Madaket Stables banner. She was returned to Cox for her 6-year-old season, winning the GIII Bayakoa S. Feb. 28 and finished second to divisional leader Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Apple Blossom H. when last seen Apr. 17. She was given a brief break from training following that event and had recently returned to Cox's barn. Monomoy Girl retires with a record of 17-14-3-0 and earnings of $4,776,818.

“I'm going to miss having her around and not being able to put a saddle on her again, but Monomoy Girl owes us nothing,” said Cox. “She's an unbelievable mare and will always hold a special place in my heart as our first Oaks winner, Breeders' Cup winner and champion. She will go to Spendthrift to start her breeding career and I'm sure she'll be an awesome mom.”

Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said that Monomoy Girl is expected to come to the Lexington-based farm this week to settle into her new career as a broodmare. Breeding plans have not yet been determined.

“Certainly, we are disappointed, especially for all of our partners,” said Toffey. “While we were hopeful to get her back to the races this year, we won't lose focus on what is most important and that is a healthy Monomoy Girl. She's an all-time great and we look forward to the next chapter of her career and giving her a great life on the farm at Spendthrift.”

Monomoy Girl's dam Drumette summoned $1.85 million from Bridlewood Farm in foal to Mastery at the 2018 FTKNOV sale. Her half-brother Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) captured a split division of the GII Risen Star S. last term and has since retired to stud in New York.

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Sesamoid Fracture Forces Retirement Of Two-Time Champion Monomoy Girl

Monomoy Girl, the two-time Eclipse Award winner and seven-time Grade 1 winner, has been retired from racing after she was discovered to have sustained an injury during training Tuesday at Churchill Downs.

Owned by My Racehorse, Spendthrift Farm and Madaket Stables, Monomoy Girl had been making a return to racing following a break over the spring since her narrow runner-up finish to Letruska in Oaklawn's Apple Blossom S. (G1) in April. The 6-year-old chestnut mare retires with 14 wins and three seconds from 17 lifetime starts.

Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said that Monomoy Girl is expected to come to the Lexington-based farm this week to settle into her new career as a future broodmare. Breeding plans have not yet been determined.

A stakes winner at two, Monomoy Girl went on to capture four consecutive Grade 1 victories as a 3-year-old including the Ashland, Acorn, CCA Oaks and storied Kentucky Oaks. She returned to Churchill Downs later in the year to become just the eleventh 3-year-old to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), earning her first Eclipse Award as the 2018 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.

Setbacks caused Monomoy Girl to miss a 4-year-old campaign, however, she returned at five in career form, ripping off four straight wins and punctuating a perfect season with another Breeders' Cup Distaff triumph last November at Keeneland. She earned her second Eclipse Award, this time as the 2020 Champion Older Dirt Female.

Monomoy Girl set a world record last fall after selling for $9.5 million as a racing/broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Spendthrift elected to keep her in training and partnered with MyRacehorse to offer microshare ownership in the superstar racemare for her 2021 campaign. Monomoy Girl won the Bayakoa S. (G3) at Oaklawn in her seasonal debut before her nose defeat to divisional frontrunner Letruska, earning a 102 Beyer – the second highest Beyer of her career.

With earnings of $4,776,818, Monomoy Girl ranks as the fifth highest-earning dirt female of all time, joining an illustrious top 5 list that includes Midnight Bisou, Zenyatta, Beholder and Royal Delta.

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O’Neill Confirms Team Merchants For Oklahoma Derby At Remington Park

West Coast-based trainer Doug O'Neill has confirmed he will enter Team Merchants in the $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Sunday, Sept. 26, stakes coordinator Don Thompson has announced.

O'Neill said Team Merchants should arrive in Oklahoma City via a FedEx jet from California on Sept. 22. O'Neill, trained two horses to Kentucky Derby wins – Nyquist in 2015 and I'll Have Another in 2012. Team Merchants is a Kentucky-bred son of Nyquist, out of the Square Eddie mare Edwina E. The colt, bred and owned by Reddam Racing, is lightly raced with five starts, two wins, and $88,940 earned. His regular rider is Mario Gutierrez, who rode both of O'Neill's Kentucky Derby winners in their run for the roses. Team Merchants has yet to win a stakes race in his career.

Keepmeinmind, a 3-year-old that lost by a neck to Essential Quality in the $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this summer, has been nominated to the Oklahoma Derby, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26 at Remington Park. Keepmeinmind is trained by Robertino Diodoro and owned by Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm.

Others already announcing earlier their expectation to run in the Oklahoma Derby include Arkansas and Ellis Park Derby winner Super Stock out of Steve Asmussen's barn. Asmussen is the all-time winningest trainer in racing history.

Fulsome, a colt by the top sire in the country, Into Mischief, out of the Distorted Humor mare Flourish, could be sent to the Derby by Brad Cox for Juddmonte Farms. Cox is the second-leading trainer in the country behind Asmussen in earnings this year. Fulsome has won four of his last five starts, including the $300,000 Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx in Philadelphia. He also won the $150,000 Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Mr. Wireless, a gelding by Dialed In, out of the Arch mare Voussoir, is from trainer Bret Calhoun's barn and runs for owner JIL Stable. He has won four of his last five starts, including two Grade 3 races – the $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park and the $300,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand.

King Fury, a colt by Curlin, out of the Flatter mare Taris, resides in trainer Kenny McPeek's barn. He is owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Fern Circle Stables and has a win in the $200,000 Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., in April, before running second in the $500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio in June.

Remington Park racing concludes this week with a nine-race card Saturday, Sept. 18, the first post is 7:07 p.m. Central.

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Street Sense Colt Joins Million-Dollar Ranks at Keeneland

A colt by Street Sense became the second of the day to sell for $1 million when bloodstock agent Liz Crow, sitting alongside Brad Weisbord and Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey, signed the ticket on hip 1022 late in the fourth session of the Keeneland September sale Thursday.

Crow and Weisbord have been busy all week buying yearlings for their colts group partnership. Prior to their million-dollar purchase in partnership with Spendthrift, they had acquired 16 yearlings for $4,980,000.

Bred and consigned by the Knelman family's Farfellow Farms, the yearling is out of Critikal Reason (Aptitude) and is a half-brother to Grade I placed Bajan (Speightstown) and from the family of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever.

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