Monomoy Girl Powers to Acorn Victory
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Photo: Rick Samuels
Monomoy Girl powers past Talk Veuve to Me to win the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park
The ambitious plan her connections concocted back in November is now complete.
Ears pricked, with a dominant victory June 9 in the $700,000 Acorn Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Association (G1) at Belmont Park, Monomoy Girl wrapped up execution of a first-half season in which she has done nothing but deliver.
Four important races, four impressive wins.
The Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) victress cruised in her first start since that prestigious May 4 victory when she took the one-mile Acorn by two lengths Saturday under a hand ride from jockey Florent Geroux.
It was her third consecutive grade 1 for Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin's Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables. She won the April 7 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in preparation for the Oaks, on the heels of her victory in the Feb. 17 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
"Today was just picture perfect," Geroux said. "She was very relaxed, and when I asked her turning for home, it was just a matter of how many lengths she was going to win it by."
Trainer Brad Cox was extremely confident in the 3-year-old daughter of Tapizar heading into the Acorn, despite the fact she traveled on an airplane for the first time to run in New York, and made her first trip over a dirt track she had not worked on.
"I just think she was a little sharper going into this race," Cox said. "I see it. I don't know if I can really explain it, but I just had a lot of confidence going into this race. Watching her walk to the track after I legged Florent up—just the look in her eye made me feel that way. She never gets worked up. You can tell she's just kind of taking it all in. She does look around a lot. That's just her. If she didn't, I'd be concerned. She walked out there today very similar to how she walked out of the paddock on Oaks day. Nothing really rattles her.
"It's the first time I've run her on a track that she had not worked on, with the exception of her races on the turf. So that was really my only question mark with her going in here—Belmont, Big Sandy, you never know, really."
Big Sandy posed no problem for Monomoy Girl, who settled three wide in third, within striking range of frontrunners Moonshine Memories and Talk Veuve to Me. Those two alternated the advantage through a quarter in :23.15 and a half in :46.48 before Moonshine Memories began to tire after six furlongs in 1:10.34.
"Both fillies that were on the lead are extremely nice fillies, but I thought Florent did a great job ... of realizing that those fillies were either going to press him or he could just sit off them and let them press themselves," Cox said. "So a lot of credit comes down to what he did for the first quarter-mile position, and that really ultimately came down to her running a big race."
Talk Veuve to Me straightened for home with the lead, but the thrill for the owners of the graded stakes-placed Violence filly was short-lived as Monomoy Girl ranged up to her outside. The brilliant chestnut streaked past and edged clear through the final sixteenth to score in a final time of 1:34.10. The 123-pound co-highweight in a six-horse field and favored at 3-5, Monomoy Girl returned $3.20, $2.30, and $2.10.
"She always tries," Kumin said. "She's showed incredible versatility—being able to win on the lead, being able to win kind of stalking, coming from the back, and that's really the sign of a top-class filly."
"I thought Monomoy Girl looked a little tired coming around the turn—wishful thinking," said Stephen McKay, who owns Talk Veuve to Me with Team Valor International and trainer Rodolphe Brisset. "Even though our filly was passed, she fought on really well. First time over the mile, which is really encouraging for us, and she finished on with a lot of heart. So second to the best filly in the country? We'll take it."
Second in the May 4 Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Kentucky Trailer (G2) last time out at Churchill Downs, Talk Veuve to Me held second by 4 1/4 lengths over allowance winner Gio Game. Moonshine Memories came in fourth and was followed by Caledonia Road, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2017. Starcloud completed the order of finish. Spectator was scratched after developing a minor fever.
Bred in Kentucky by FPF and Highfield Ranch, out of the Henny Hughes mare Drumette, Monomoy Girl was a $100,000 purchase by Liz Crow of BSW Bloodstock from Gainesway's consignment to the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale. Her record stands at seven wins and a second in eight starts, which includes a win in the 2017 Rags to Riches Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) last year. Her earnings amount to $1,495,750.
So what's the new plan for the filly who, so far at least, has done everything asked of her?
According to Cox, the July 22 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the Sept. 22 Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing, and a trip to the Breeders' Cup back at Churchill in November would put the finishing touches on a championship season.
"We put a game plan together back in November, going through the Acorn, and honestly after the Oaks, I sat down with the team and kind of came up with another game plan," Cox said. "Everything's tentative (and) nothing's carved in stone, but kind of looking at Coaching Club, Cotillion, Breeders' Cup. We'll see. We're going to let her determine where we go with her, and ultimately how she comes out of this will play a big role in what we do moving forward."