Monomoy Girl to Continue Her Comeback in Ruffian Stakes

The Eclipse Award-winning Monomoy Girl owns 10 wins in 12 starts—five coming in grade 1 stakes—making it curious that a grade 2 stakes is being viewed as a pivotal race for her.

But the highly popular 5-year-old mare's career has steered far away from a traditional path in the last year and a half.

After winning the 2018 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) to become the champion 3-year-old filly, she has started just once in the past 20 months due to a couple of physical ailments. The daughter of Tapizar  finally made it back to the races May 16 at Churchill Downs, shaking off the rust in a winning effort, but that 2 3/4-length score came in the humble setting of an allowance optional claiming race.

Given those circumstances, step two on the comeback trail promises to be more revealing. 

Monomoy Girl will face four rivals July 11 in the $150,000 Ruffian Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, a one-turn mile stakes for older fillies and mares that will offer a more challenging test than her comeback race and help her connections chart a course toward a return trip to the Breeders' Cup.

"She's doing great. It's a good spot. This will be a good test. It's the second start off the layoff against some good horses, and we'll find out if she's really back," said Sol Kumin, who owns a share of the mare through his Monomoy Stables. "We didn't want to rush her back. Obviously, we thought long and hard about the (June 13) Ogden Phipps (G1), but this was the right spot. We'll see how it goes and plot out the rest of the year."

The tantalizing part about those future plans is pondering a matchup with 5-year-old Midnight Bisou, who dominated the filly and mare division last year in Monomoy Girl's absence and also includes Kumin among her ownership group through Madaket Stables. At 3, the two fillies had four meetings, with Monomoy Girl winning three times and Midnight Bisou prevailing via disqualification in the Cotillion Stakes (G1). But once she turned 4, Midnight Bisou blossomed into a champion, winning seven of eight starts last year. Her 2020 résumé includes a highly impressive runner-up finish in the Saudi Cup and a smashing 8 1/4-length victory in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2).

Midnight Bisou is targeting the Aug. 1 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course for her next start, but there's little to no chance Monomoy Girl will be waiting for her.

"It would be asking a lot off three weeks' rest. I never want to say never, but it doesn't make sense right now," trainer Brad Cox said about the Personal Ensign.

With the Sept. 4 La Troienne Stakes Presented by United Card Events by Chase (G1) at Churchill Downs a more likely spot for Monomoy Girl's subsequent start, if the two glamour girls of the division meet, it will most likely come four months from now in the Distaff.

"You want them to race against each other at some point. It's good for racing, and obviously it will happen. The Personal Ensign just doesn't seem like the right time to do it," Kumin said. "The whole Midnight Bisou-Monomoy Girl thing is weird for me since I own both of them. It's rare to have two horses this good in the same division. Hopefully, they can both stay sound and eventually face each other."

As for Saturday's race, Cox believes Monomoy Girl has taken some nice steps forward since her long-awaited comeback race for the ownership group of Kumin, Michael Dubb, Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group, and Mike Caruso's Bethlehem Stables.

"She breezed fantastic Saturday. She's on her game," Cox said. "She should run her race. She's had enough time to recover from her first start, and I'm confident she'll give a good account of herself."

Though it remains to be seen whether Monomoy Girl will regain her grade 1-winning form, Cox said the mare is training in a better fashion than she did two years ago.

"I'm not saying she's faster than she was," he said. "But training on a daily basis, she's moving better. She's happier, and her works are better than they were at 3."

Bred in Kentucky by FPF and Highfield Ranch, the daughter of the Henny Hughes mare Drumette was bought for $100,000 from the Gainesway consignment at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by BSW Bloodstock's Liz Crow. Her earnings of $3,003,618 have already dwarfed that figure in a career that has featured top-level wins in the Distaff and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

"I love this filly. When you buy them as yearlings and name them and they become a champion, it's special," Kumin said. "I know how much it meant for Brad Cox when she gave him his first grade 1 win, and she's given me some of my greatest moments in racing."

Monomoy Girl will be heavily favored when she breaks from post 5 with Florent Geroux.

Her main rival should be Repole Stable's Always Shopping, who is hoping to regain her stakes-winning form of a year ago for trainer Todd Pletcher. After winning the Gazelle Stakes (G2) in April 2019, she has lost her past three starts. Most recently, the homebred daughter of Awesome Again was fourth in the June 7 Treasure Coast Stakes at Gulfstream Park in her turf debut.

Entries: Ruffian S. (G2)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 11, 2020, Race 4

• Grade II
• 1m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Piedi Bianchi (IN)	Dylan Davis	120	Carlos F. Martin	12/1
2	2Mother Mother (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Bob Baffert	5/2
3	3Vexatious (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Jack Sisterson	6/1
4	4Always Shopping (KY)	Eric Cancel	124	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
5	5Monomoy Girl (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Brad H. Cox	2/5