Unbeaten Monomoy Girl Aims to Make Grade in Golden Rod

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Unbeaten Monomoy Girl Aims to Make Grade in Golden Rod
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Photo: Coady Photography
Monomoy Girl enters the Golden Rod off a win in the Rags to Riches Stakes

After rolling up three clear victories in her first three starts, including the easiest of wins when moved to dirt in the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs, Monomoy Girl will look to land her first graded stakes Nov. 25 in the $200,000 Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill.

Monomoy Girl started her career with a pair of victories at one mile on the turf, as the daughter of Tapizar  won her maiden special weight debut Sept. 5 at Indiana Grand Race Course before she took a Sept. 28 optional-claiming allowance at Churchill.

Moved to the main track for her stakes debut in the Oct. 29 Rags to Riches, Michael Dubb and Monomoy Stables' Monomoy Girl delivered her most impressive effort to date when she drew off to a 6 1/2-length score in the one-turn mile test. 

"She's an absolute runner," trainer Brad Cox said. "It was interesting leading into the Rags to Riches, because she began her career on the turf. We thought if she ran as well on the dirt as she trained she'd do very well. And, after that race, she's looked just as good preparing for the Golden Rod."

Monomoy Girl will stretch out just a bit in the two-turn, 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod, which attracted an expected field of a dozen juvenile fillies. Bred in Kentucky by FPF and Highfield Ranch, Monomoy Girl is the first stakes winner out of Drumette, by Henny Hughes. Out of multiple stakes winner Endless Parade, Drumette is a half sister to grade 3 winner Drum Major.

One of the fillies awaiting Monomoy Girl is Kelly's Humor, who also is trained by Cox. Kelly's Humor ran second to Patrona Margarita in the Sept. 16 Pocahontas Stakes (G2) at Churchill then ran fifth in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

Other promising fillies in Saturday's field include G. Watts Humphrey Jr. homebred Cash Out, who returns to dirt racing after a third-place finish in the JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland; and Fern Circle Stables' Stronger Than Ever, who won her first two starts at Churchill and Keeneland.

The Golden Rod is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks points race (10-4-2-1).


Entries: Golden Rod S. (G2)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 25, 2017, Race 9

  • Grade II
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $200,000
  • 2 yo Fillies
  • 4:57 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Caroline the Great (KY) Calvin H. Borel 119 Tracey Glover 30/1
2 2Undivided (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Alex L. Canchari 119 Doug L. Anderson 30/1
3 3Dessert Honeys (FL) Channing Hill 119 Eddie Kenneally 15/1
4 4Sultry (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Corey J. Lanerie 119 Eddie Kenneally 4/1
5 5Road to Victory (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 119 Mark E. Casse 8/1
6 6Monomoy Girl (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 119 Brad H. Cox 8/5
7 7Cash Out (KY) Junior Alvarado 119 George R. Arnold, II 8/1
8 8Stronger Than Ever (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Robby Albarado 119 Kenneth G. McPeek 15/1
9 9Deadline (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 119 Kenneth G. McPeek 15/1
10 10Kelly's Humor (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 119 Brad H. Cox 5/1
11 11Foxtrot Sally (KY) Joseph Rocco, Jr. 119 George R. Arnold, II 15/1
12 12Ipanema Beach (KY) Chris Landeros 119 George R. Arnold, II 20/1