All Eyes on Undefeated Munnys Gold in Eight Belles

With the three eyebrow-raising performances that Munnys Gold  has already turned in, expectations are sure to be set fairly high for her first try at graded company May 5 at Churchill Downs when she takes on a field of eight other 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the dirt in the $500,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2).

Campaigned by Robert and Lawana Low and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the 6-5 morning line favorite has had remarkable results so far winning each of her three starts running away including a last-out victory in the Sophomore Fillies Stakes by 17 1/4 lengths.

Competing at different tracks each time including Monmouth Park, Gulfstream Park, and Tampa Bay Downs, does not seem to bother the filly who broke her maiden by 14 1/2 last June and won an allowance by 6 1/4 lengths in her first start of the 2023 season.

The daughter of Munnings   who was a $300,000 buy for the Low's from the Four Star Sales consignment in 2021 at Fasig-Tipton's July Select Yearling Sale, will be aimed toward the top level this summer at Saratoga Race Course, specifically the Test Stakes (G1), according to Pletcher.

"That's our first major goal, to get to the Test," Pletcher said. "(We'll) run in the Eight Belles, and then maybe once in between that and the Test."

Munnys Gold has been based at Palm Beach Downs in Delray, Fla., for the past several months and put in a four-furlong work April 28 in :48.61.

"Her behavior is very good. She's just very aggressive. It's not a behavioral thing in the paddock, any of that. It's just she needs a quiet setting to train," Pletcher said.

Up against the undefeated Pletcher trainee is Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's Red Carpet Ready , whose third last out in the one-mile Davona Dale Stakes (G2) seemed to indicate the filly preferred a shorter distance. Earlier on she was looking toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1) trail after winning the Forward Gal Stakes (G3).

The Rusty Arnold trainee is 3-0-1 from four starts—including the 2022 Fern Creek Stakes—and looks to be one of Munnys Gold's biggest challengers in her quest to add another graded score to her record.

The New Mexico-based Olivia Twist  failed to garner enough points for entry to the Oaks unlike her Todd Fincher stablemate Flying Connection  who nabbed a spot in the starting gate, and re-routes to the Eight Belles instead.

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Mshawish   is owned in partnership by Brad King, Randy Andrews, Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby, and Lee Lewis.

"She is one of those that just trains extremely hard and very aggressive and has continued that (at Churchill Downs). She actually went sort of downhill after Remington (Trapeze Stakes) and is slowly coming back uphill right now so she's on her way up and we're excited to see what she'll do," Fincher said.

"She should be in a good spot in the race, I don't think she'll be on the lead but she'll be in a good tracking spot. We'll see some horses really like that distance and some not so much."

Rounding out the field is Condensation , Accede , Positano Sunset , Sabra Tuff , Effortlesslyelgant , and Grand Love .