Cowboy Diplomacy, sibling of champion filly, set for debut

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A 3-year-old full brother to champion filly Monomoy Girl will launch his career in Friday’s seventh race at Oaklawn.

Cowboy Diplomacy runs in a maiden special weight at six furlongs. He is owned by Pocket Aces Racing and Madaket Stable and shares a trainer with his big sister in Brad Cox.

“We like him a lot,” Cox said. “He’s shown us some talent in the morning. This is a good spot to get him started, get his career going.”

Monomoy Girl was named champion 3-year-old filly of 2018 last month for a campaign in which she won 6 of 7 starts and earned $2.8 million. Among her five Grade 1 wins were the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“She’s back at Fair Grounds training extremely well,” Cox said Tuesday. “We don’t know quite yet when we’ll breeze her. We’re real pleased with her right now.”

Monomoy Girl and Cowboy Diplomacy are by Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar and out of the Henny Hughes mare Drumette. Both horses are chestnut in color.

“They’re very similar physically,” Cox said. “They’re big, strong, strapping horses. They’re the same color. They have very similar heads, the same eye – very similar horses to look at. It’s odd. I’ve had full siblings that don’t look anything alike. These two look like … twins.”

Cowboy Diplomacy will break from post 6 under Fernando De La Cruz.

“I think he’s forward enough where he can win going short,” Cox said. “He has some speed out of the gate. I think he can win going short. I think ultimately, down the road, he’ll be better going long.”

Monomoy Girl won her career debut in a one-mile race on grass at Indiana Grand at 2.

Also in the field Friday is Captain Von Trapp, who in his last start was fifth to eventual Smarty Jones Stakes winner Gray Attempt.

◗ Jessica Krupnick, a stakes winner who ran fifth in the American Beauty on Jan. 26 at Oaklawn, has been retired, said trainer Norm McKnight. He said the 6-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, owned by Breeze Easy LLC, had originally been purchased for broodmare purposes. McKnight said Jessica Krupnick is to be bred to Into Mischief.