Monomoy Girl made her case for favoritism in the May 4 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs by easily wiring the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on Saturday.
The race is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series and was worth 100-40-20-10 points to the respective top four finishers.
With jockey Florent Geroux aboard, the chestnut lass took command of the 1 1/16-mile affair and never looked back while setting splits of :24, :47.98, 1:12.62 and 1:37.62. C. S. Incharge tracked in second on the backstretch, but was overtaken by Patrona Margarita to her inside, and Tyosha and Andina Del Sur to her outside heading into the turn.
Monomoy Girl continued motoring up front as Eskimo Kisses put in a ferocious rally on the far outside from last. That Kenny McPeek charge did her best but could not close the gap Monomoy Girl kept extending in the stretch. The heavy 1-5 favorite crossed under the wire 5 1/2 lengths clear in a final time of 1:43.74 over the fast main track.
The victory boosted Monomoy Girl’s career mark to 6-5-1-0 and more than doubled her earnings to $556,550. It also awarded her the winner’s share of 100 points toward a starting berth in the Kentucky Oaks.
Eskimo Kisses was game in second, 7 1/2 lengths in front of Patrona Margarita on the line. The To Honor and Serve filly earned 40 points to bring her Kentucky Oaks total to 80 following a head second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) while making her stakes bow last out.
Patrona Margarita brought 15 points into the Ashland and exited with 35 for taking the Pocahontas Stakes (G2) last year, finishing fourth in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) last out and filling the third spot in this one. Andina Del Sur made her Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard debut with 10 points for coming in 3 3/4 lengths behind Patrona Margarita in fourth.
Completing the order of finish were Ipanema Beach, C. S. Incharge and Tyfosha.
Campaigned by M. Dubb, Monomoy Stables LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC and Bethlehem Stables LLC, Monomoy Girl boasts 154 Kentucky Oaks points and will head to the Run for the Lilies off two straight graded victories.
The Brad Cox pupil made her sophomore bow last out in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds, scoring by 2 1/2 lengths in that February 17 affair. The Tapizar filly began her career on the turf at Indiana Grand, breaking her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths last September 5, then shipped to Churchill Downs where she took a grassy allowance/optional claimer 23 days later.
She wired her dirt and stakes debut by 6 1/2 lengths in the Rags to Riches Stakes in late October, then suffered her only loss to date when missing by a neck after lugging in and out during the stretch run of the November 25 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) to close out her juvenile campaign.
Bred in Kentucky by FPF LLC and Highland Ranch, Monomoy Girl is the first registered stakes scorer out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Drumette, who is a half-sister to Grade 3 victor Drum Major.
Monomoy Girl’s fifth dam is Lady Dulcinea, a half-sister to a slew of black-type winning and producing mares including the dam of 1991 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) hero Opening Verse. This lucrative female line also boasts 1980 champion two-year-old filly Heavenly Cause and multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Bounding Basque.
ASHLAND QUOTES
Florent Geroux, jockey Monomoy Girl, winner
“There wasn’t really a plan (regarding going for the lead), just wanted to get a good position and let the filly be comfortable. I hustled her a little bit from post one. We had the rail and we had the right of going. We just took it to them and she was the best. She can go very fast.”
Brad Cox, trainer Monomoy Girl, winner
“It’s special (winning my first Grade 1 race). It means a lot to me that we’ve had her since her two-year-old year. She’s really developed. We thought a lot of her last year and she’s obviously taken it to the next level.
“She’s breezed well but she’s just a little slow from the gate. Even today she didn’t break that sharp. (Jockey) Florent (Geroux) had to nudge her on a little bit to get position. She’s always been a good work horse on the dirt. She’s obviously dual-surface, but we’ll stay on dirt for now (for the Kentucky Oaks).”
Corey Lanerie, jockey Eskimo Kisses, second
“She doesn’t always show a lot of speed in her races so she was sitting back there biding her time. When it was time to go, I called on her and she gave me everything she had. The other filly is just super nice. But my filly ran good and galloped out good.”
On how her performance sets her up for the Kentucky Oaks
“I think more ground would be a whole lot better for her. That and maybe a little more pace up front in the race. We’ll see what happens.”
Kenny McPeek, trainer Eskimo Kisses, second
“We were really pleased with her race. Obviously the winner is extremely fast and we have a lot of respect for her, but we feel pretty confident moving forward. A mile and an eighth we’re going to like even better. She’s doing everything right, improving, and now we have Grade 1 type.”
Are you definitely moving on to the Oaks?
“For sure. We think dirt races at a mile and an eighth, a mile and a quarter, a mile and a half; she’s going to love all that.”
Brian Hernandez Jr., jockey Patrona Margarita, third
“We followed the winner the whole way around and (Patrona Margarita) responded well and she ran on nicely. With the favorite (Monomoy Girl) being on the inside, I thought someone might go with her and press the pace more, but the winner was the best filly today.”
Bret Calhoun, trainer Patrona Margarita, third
“The Kentucky Oaks is a possibility; we won’t rule it out. But we may want to give her a little more time (between races). We look for her to move forward off this race. Today’s race set up how we thought it would. Monomoy Girl went right to the front and never really had any strong pressure and went in moderate fractions for a class horse like her.”
Julien Leparoux, jockey Andina Del Sur, fourth
“We were in a good spot. She ran a good race for her first time on the dirt. She probably likes the turf a little bit better, but she tried. She ran a good race.”
