Sunday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks was billed as a showdown between heavy-hitting 3-year-old fillies Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), but when the gates opened, the fleet-footed Monomoy Girl took the lead and never looked back, posting a decisive three-length victory over her GISW rival. The win continued a flawless 2018 campaign for the daughter of Tapizar, who added her fourth consecutive Grade I victory on the heels of scores in the Apr. 7 GI Ashland S., May 4 GI Kentucky Oaks and June 9 GI Acorn S.
Monomoy Girl's Kentucky Oaks win came at the expense of Midnight Bisou, who finished third as the favorite that day. While Saratoga's Sunday feature was closely bet–with Monomoy Girl holding slight favoritism at odds of 1-2 over Midnight Bisou's 6-5 quote–Midnight Bisou never posed a serious threat to turn the tables on the pacesetting chestnut and was forced to settle for second.
Monomoy Girl was asked for run by regular pilot Florent Geroux leaving the gate and settled on the front end with moderate pressure applied by Gio Game (Gio Ponti) to her outside through a half-mile in :48.23. At that juncture, Midnight Bisou–who landed in a tracking third–attempted to bridge the gap, but Monomoy Girl stepped on the gas and maintained a steady advantage into the lane. She spurted away once straightened out for the drive and proved not for catching, with Midnight Bisou clearly ahead of rail-skimming third-place finisher Chocolate Martini (Broken Vow).
“I put this race up there as high any of her other Grade I wins this year,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “It wasn't a big field, but it was a mile and an eighth. I think there's a still a question mark if that's her best distance, but she proved today that she can do it. She's got speed and puts herself in the race.”
Geroux echoed Cox's sentiments, asserting that Monomoy Girl is best when allowed to put her natural speed on display.
“I thought that I had the best horse coming into the race and I rode her like she was: take no prisoners, just take it to them right away and keep on going,” the native of France said.
Monomoy Girl has been defeated only once in nine starts, finishing second by a neck behind Road to Victory (Quality Road) in last November's GII Golden Rod S. She kicked off her 2018 campaign with a last-to-first score in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds Feb. 17, touching off a winning streak that has continued through mid-Summer. In the course of the remarkable run, she has defeated the likes of Queen's Plate winner Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) and ultra-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Talk Veuve to Me (Violence), who recently emerged from her runner-up finish in the Acorn to capture the GIII Indiana Oaks.
After the Coaching Club, Cox said Monomoy Girl will likely makes two more starts in 2018, with the ultimate objective being the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in early November.
“The Alabama is certainly a possibility,” Cox said. “We'll let her determine where we are with her in terms of races. If today's race was a mile and a quarter, I would have been confident with her coming in going another eighth of a mile. The Cotillion is also under consideration. It's a big purse and a Grade I ,as well.”
Pedigree Notes:
Monomoy Girl was bred in Kentucky by Brendan and Olive Gallagher's Frankfort Park Farm and Michael Hernon's Highfield Ranch, who purchased her dam Drumette–a daughter of MSW Endless Parade and a half-sister to GSW Drum Major Dynaformer)–with the winner in utero for $75,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. Drumette is also responsible for a 2-year-old full-brother to Monomoy Girl named Cowboy Diplomacy; a yearling colt by Palace Malice and a weanling colt by Shackleford.
Sunday, Saratoga
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $291,000, Saratoga, 7-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.46, ft.
1–MONOMOY GIRL, 121, f, 3, by Tapizar
1st Dam: Drumette, by Henny Hughes
2nd Dam: Endless Parade, by Williamstown
3rd Dam: Mnemosyne, by Saratoga Six
($100,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-M. Dubb, Monomoy Stables, LLC,
The Elkstone Group LLC & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-FPF LLC &
Highfield Ranch (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux.
$165,000. Lifetime Record: 9-8-1-0, $1,660,750.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”paul-sharp-double-congratulations”][bullet ad=”frankfort-park-farm-raised-grazed-at”][bullet ad=”bsw-public-auction-purchase”][bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Midnight Bisou, 121, f, 3, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite, by Repent
2nd Dam: Tour Hostess, by Tour d'Or
3rd Dam: Counsel's Gal, by High Counsel
($19,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo '17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC & Allen Racing
LLC; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC. (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $60,000.[bullet ad=”woodford-winning”]3–Chocolate Martini, 121, f, 3, by Broken Vow
1st Dam: Nicksappealinglady, by Successful Appeal
2nd Dam: That's My Double, by Darn That Alarm
3rd Dam: Ladies Double, by Kris S.
($65,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Double Doors Racing, LLC & Nine
Thirty Racing LLC; B-Savino A. Capilupi (KY); T-Thomas M.
Amoss. $36,000.[bullet ad=”hidden-brook-foaled”][bullet ad=”millennium-farm-raised”][bullet ad=”buckland-sales-grad”]Margins: 3, 3HF, 2. Odds: 0.50, 1.35, 43.25.
Also Ran: Eskimo Kisses, Gio Game. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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