Monomoy Girl

Monomoy Girl opened her career with three straight victories, including the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs on October 2017. She closed out her 2-year-old season with a hard-fought runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes, also at Churchill.

The chestnut filly returned in February for her 3-year-old bow in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds, where she made easy work of six opponents with a 2 1/2-length victory that stamped her a contender for the Longines Kentucky Oaks. She cemented her status as the Kentucky Oaks favorite with a runaway victory in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes on April 7 at Keeneland, where she was much the best in improving to five wins in six starts.

Her winning streak stretched to three races when she emerged victorious in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs after a hard-fought stretch battle with Wonder Gadot. She followed with wins in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets undercard and the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course, the latter by three lengths over Midnight Bisou, to further solidfy her place as the top 3-year-old filly in training in North America.

Making her next start in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on Sept. 22, Monomoy Girl took command into the stretch and crossed the finish line first after holding off a resolute Midnight Bisou, but she was disqualified and placed second for interfering with that familiar rival in the stretch and twice forcing Midnight Bisou to alter paths.

Monomoy Girl trained well up to a start in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 3. Breaking from the outside post in a field of 11, she set just off of pacesetter Wonder Gadot through the backstretch and into the far turn, took command in early stretch, and was all out under Florent Geroux to hold off Wow Cat  by a length for a season-ending triumph.

Monomoy Girl wrapped up a sensational season with her Distaff win, and she was a near-unanimous choice as champion 3-year-old filly at the Eclipse Awards, receiving 247 of 249 votes.

Multiple minor injuries and a bout of colic kept Monomoy Girl from racing for the entire 2019 season, but she returned in 2020 with a facile 2 3/4-length win in an allowance-optional claiming race May 16 at Churchill Downs. She returned to elite competition for her second start and posted a clear win in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes July 11 at Belmont Park.

That victory placed Monomoy Girl right back atop her division – now the older female division at age 5 – and the mare solidified her status with a workmanlike 1 ¾-length win in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes Presented by Oak Grove Racing and Gaming at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4. It was her fifth career win in six starts under the Twin Spires.

A surefire Hall of Famer, Monomoy Girl finished up 2020 on Nov. 7 at Keeneland with a dominant victory in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff to close out her career with 13 wins and two seconds in 15 races … and in one of the defeats she finished first and was disqualified. She picked up her second career Eclipse Award for her unbeaten 5-year-old campaign, this time honored as champion older dirt female.

Monomoy Girl was sold as a broodmare prospect to B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million shortly after her Breeders’ Cup Distaff win at Keeneland, but her ownership group decided to bring her back for a 6-year-old campaign in 2021, and she got off to a fine start in the Feb. 28 Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park, winning by two lengths on cue from regular rider Florent Geroux after stalking the pace over a sloppy track.

On Apr. 17, Monomoy Girl saw her winning streak snapped when she finished second by a nose to Letruska in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap. Florent Geroux rated her right off the early lead, and took control as they entered the stretch. Her and Letruska battled in the stretch, and although Monomoy Girl showed heart, Letruska got the upper hand and surged to victory.