Monomoy Girl Fires Third Straight Bullet at Keeneland

As much as racing fans will spend next week lamenting a first Saturday in May without the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the lack of racing in Kentucky, New York, and California because of the COVID-19 pandemic is also keeping a bevy of older equine stars in a holding pattern. 

Among the horses at the top of that list is one of the sport's most popular runners, Monomoy Girl, who has not raced since Nov. 3, 2018, when she captured the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and turned the voting for the year's champion 3-year-old filly into a walkover.

Under usual conditions, the 5-year-old mare might have run in an allowance race next week at Churchill Downs or maybe a stakes in the week or two after that. Instead, after another sharp work April 25 at Keeneland, trainer Brad Cox can only wonder when he'll be able to enter her in a race.

"She's getting very close to running," Cox said of the Tapizar  mare. "Unfortunately, there are no condition books out there and I don't have any options for her now, but when racing resumes, we should be ready to go. I don't know, maybe nothing will pop up until June, and maybe it will be an allowance race or a graded stakes for her first race. It's out of our hands right now. There's a lot of head-scratching in training now."

Monomoy Girl, ridden by Florent Geroux, posted a third consecutive bullet work as she and Owendale, a multiple grade 3-winning 4-year-old colt in Cox's barn, both zipped five furlongs in :59 4/5, the fastest of 26 moves at the distance. It was her eighth timed work since Feb. 28.

The champion mare was timed in a bullet :59 3/5 in her previous work April 18 at Keeneland, and was swiftest of 63 in a four-furlong drill in :46 3/5 April 11.

"Her and Owendale worked heads-up, and you couldn't split them," Cox said. "She's stepped up and really given us what we're looking for during the last three weeks when we tightened the screws on her in her works. She's really responding well. I believe she's moving better now than she has ever moved. I'm really happy with the way she's traveling.

"I know when we lead her over, I will have enough confidence that she will run well. She's always run her race. I don't think she's one who needs excuses. She's about as honest as they come."

Though she's unraced in nearly 18 months, Monomoy Girl has been anything but inactive. The winner of nine of 11 starts with earnings of $2,954,750 is in the midst of her third comeback since the 2018 World Championships. In her two previous attempts, she was on the verge of being entered in a race before a mild case of colic and then a pulled hamstring muscle forced her to the sideline.

"I miss her. We've done right by her, and by being patient and taking our foot off the gas each time, hopefully it will pay off," said Sol Kumin, who owns Monomoy Girl through his Monomoy Stables along with Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables. "Brad's excited, but we've been here before. I would love to get a race into her and see her on the track to get some fitness in her so she can peak at the right time at the end of the year. In a perfect world, she would be running within two weeks, but we're super focused on her coming back, and all indications are that it's a go. But I'm superstitious, so I'm here with my fingers crossed, saying my prayers."

Cox also was pleased with the way Owendale worked in preparation for his first start since finishing second Nov. 29 in the Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1).

"I think a lot of Owendale," Cox said of Rupp Racing's third-place finisher in the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1). "I think he's going to be a very good older horse."

The work was the fifth for the son of Into Mischief  since March 29 and the first beyond four furlongs.

Also on the Keeneland work tab Saturday was Juddmonte Farms' 3-year-old filly Bonny South, timed in :36 2/5 for Cox in her first drill since her March 21 victory in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). It ranked third among 15 three-furlong works.

"It was a solid move. She's one of the point leaders for the (Longines) Kentucky Oaks (G1) and wasn't going to run in the (May 1) Fantasy (G3), so we thought we'd back off, freshen her, and somehow map out a campaign to get her ready for the Oaks," Cox said of the homebred daughter of Munnings  who ranks second with 100 qualifying points on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.

Another Cox/Juddmonte runner on the tab was grade 1-placed Juliet Foxtrot, who zipped four furlongs in :47 1/5, the second-fastest of 63 works at that distance.

"She worked a little quick but did it the right way," Cox said of the Dansili mare, who is coming off a third in the Dec. 1 Matriarch Stakes (G1T). "She galloped along great. She's one of them that was slated to run at Keeneland but couldn't."

Cox said two of his starters in May 2 stakes at Oaklawn Park will work April 26 at Oaklawn. Wells Bayou is targeting the Arkansas Derby (G1), and Warrior's Charge is a candidate for the Oaklawn Handicap (G2).