Coaching Club Oaks possible spot for Monomoy Girl-Midnight Bisou rematch

ELMONT, N.Y. – If there is to be a showdown at Saratoga between top 3-year-old fillies Monomoy Girl and Midnight Bisou, it would more likely happen in the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 than the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on Aug. 18.

Monomoy Girl is the division leader, having won three Grade 1 races this year including the Kentucky Oaks, in which she defeated Midnight Bisou. However, Midnight Bisou bounced back from that race with a dominating six-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont, beating Road to Victory, the only horse to have defeated Monomoy Girl. It was Midnight Bisou’s fourth graded stakes win of the year, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks.

Midnight Bisou came out of her race in good order, and was already bedded down in Saratoga on Sunday morning. Trainer Steve Asmussen, who won his fourth Mother Goose, said the Coaching Club will strongly be considered for Midnight Bisou’s next start.

“Midnight Bisou came out of the race in great shape,” Asmussen said Monday. “I spoke with [owner] Jeff Bloom and will nominate and strongly consider the Coaching Club.”

Asmussen said it was premature to discuss the Alabama.

Meanwhile, trainer Brad Cox said Monday that Monomoy Girl is definitely targeting the CCA Oaks. Cox has previously said he is likely to skip the 1 1/4-mile Alabama and point Monomoy Girl to the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 22 as her final race before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

“We’ve got a plan mapped out for the summer and fall,” Cox said Monday. “We’re not dodging anybody or staying away from anybody, I can tell you that. She really is doing well. I’m real happy with where she is in her training.”

On Sunday, Monomoy Girl breezed a half-mile in 47.60 seconds at Churchill Downs. Cox said Monomoy Girl would have two more breezes at Churchill before shipping to Saratoga a week before the CCA Oaks.