Saratoga Spotlight: Monomoy Girl expected to run next year
Monomoy Girl enters her matchup with Midnight Bisou in Sunday's Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks as the leader of the 3-year-old filly division. The Brad Cox-trainee is unique because she has never run poorly in her eight-race career, beaten once last year, but by only a neck.
The daughter of Tapizar, who was a bargain $100,000 purchase as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale, currently has earnings of $1,495,750. Saratoga will mark the sixth track where she has raced as she enters the CCA Oaks on a four-race winning streak, with the most recent starts coming in Grade 1s.
Trying to explain why Monomoy Girl has never run a bad race, Cox said, “She’s just super consistent. She’s held her form and held her weight.
"...She can take the training. Obviously, the others don’t run because they can’t take the training and the racing.”
Around the barn and out on the track there are no surprises from Monomoy Girl.
“She’s somewhat laid back,” Cox said. “She likes to look at a lot of things. Stop and look and that’s just kind of her. She’s not hard on herself at all. She doesn’t overdo it, but she does put a lot into her works. We normally keep her in company for her works and breezes so she seems to get a little more out of them.”
Monomoy Girl made her first two starts on the turf as a 2-year-old because Cox wanted to run her around two-turns, and not on the dirt in a sprint.
“When I first started her on the dirt, she really turned it on and ran a big race," he said. "That’s when we first took notice that she could be something special.”
Of course, Cox was referring to her 6½-length victory in the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs.
We will find out if Monomoy Girl can continue running in top form in the CCA Oaks. Over eight races, her Beyer Speed Figures have never decreased, with her top figure of 98 coming last time in the Acorn (G1).
Cox expects the filly to race in 2019 as a 4-year-old.
"The Breeders’ Cup Distaff is a our goal for the end of this year,” he said. “I guess if you look real long-term it would to campaign her as a 4-year-old, but ultimately she’ll determine that with her performances. If she’s doing well I’m sure the owners would love to run next year.”