Cox Sitting Chilly With Essential Quality, Monomoy Girl

As much as brutal winter weather in Arkansas has tossed a wrench into the racing schedule at Oaklawn Park, trainer Brad Cox said Feb. 16 a two-week delay has not posed a significant problem in preparing his champions Essential Quality and Monomoy Girl for their oft-delayed stakes engagements in Hot Springs.

"It hasn't really affected the training for both Essential Quality and Monomoy Girl," said Cox, who has both horses stabled with him at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. "They have been working steadily and are ready to run. We worked them this weekend when they were supposed to race and we'll breeze them again this weekend to prep for the races next weekend. They are ready to run. We'll ship them up when the weather clears."

Cox's two 2020 Eclipse Award winners were originally scheduled to kick off their 2021 campaigns Feb. 15 at Oaklawn with Godolphin's Essential Quality running in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and Spendthrift Farm's Monomoy Girl returning in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares.

Freezing temperatures with snow and ice led to the postponement of the stakes until Feb. 20 and then Feb. 21, but, with forecasts calling for a possible snow fall of up to 10 inches this week, track officials announced Monday a postponement of the Feb. 18-21 cards until the following weekend.

New dates for both stakes have not been announced.

While the 6-year-old Monomoy Girl was using the Bayakoa as a stepping stone for the April 17 $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn and will still have seven weeks between races, the two-week delay has basically erased one of the options for Essential Quality's second and final preps for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

"This probably knocks the (March 20 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, G2) out of play," Cox said. "Our attention will probably turn to the Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland where he has had some success or the week after that the (April 10) Arkansas Derby (G1, at Oaklawn). Those are the races that are in play after the Southwest."

The April 3 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes would bring the undefeated homebred son of Tapit  back to Keeneland where he won both the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) and the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) en route to the Eclipse Award as the champion 2-year-old male.

"The plan with (Godolphin president and racing manager) Jimmy Bell was to give him two starts at 3 before the Kentucky Derby, given what he accomplished at 2," Cox said. "We wanted to let him catch his breath and freshen up. Hopefully that will give him a big chance in the Kentucky Derby."

Cox also said Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun exited his Feb. 13 victory in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) in excellent shape and is on course for the Louisiana Derby.

"He came out of the Risen Star really good," Cox said. "We're really excited about him. The Louisiana Derby is the option that makes the most sense for him."