Monomoy Girl eyes possible start in Pegasus World Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Monomoy Girl, who locked up her divisional Eclipse Award with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Saturday, was in good order the following day as her connections discussed her goals for 2019.

Monomoy Girl won the Distaff by a length over Wow Cat, one of six Grade 1 winners in a stellar field that included the now-retired champion Abel Tasman. The morning after the race, trainer Brad Cox was still marveling at Monomoy Girl's consistency and durability during a campaign that lasted from February until November.

"It's hard to keep racehorses sound, and for her to be as good as she's been all year ... " Cox trailed off, looking for words for a moment. "She's just an unbelievably tough filly. That's the biggest thing.

"You're always thinking about what's ahead, or what's down the road. As a trainer, the first thing you think of is, how am I gonna keep them happy, healthy, and sound? She makes it easy for us. She's unbelievable."

Monomoy Girl officially won six of seven starts in 2018, with five Grade 1 triumphs highlighted by the Kentucky Oaks and the Distaff, becoming the third filly to win those races in the same year. Her only loss came when she was moved to second via disqualification in the Cotillion Stakes in September.

Monomoy Girl's ownership group – Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin's Monomoy Stables, Stuart Grant's Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables – said immediately following the Distaff that the $9 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park could be under consideration for their star. Cox said Sunday morning that they will discuss whether to give her a brief freshening before aiming for that race or to give her an extended break ahead of her 4-year-old campaign.

"It's a big purse, and probably a track that fits her style, at a mile and an eighth, and not a long stretch," Cox said. "Obviously, she loves the [longer] stretch here [at Churchill], but up against the boys, we would need something to kind of balance it out. So, ultimately, that will be what we come up with over the next week or two. If the Pegasus isn't the goal, then getting back to the Breeders' Cup next year is going to be the biggest race of the year for us."

Wow Cat, who finished a rallying second in the Distaff, is expected to remain in training next year, according to trainer Chad Brown. The Chilean Triple Crown winner and champion has not missed the board in four starts in the U.S. this year, including a victory in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes.

Third-place finisher Midnight Bisou and fourth-place Blue Prize are also expected to be back on the track in 2019.

“Usually, these Argentinian horses do better at 6 than 5," trainer Ignacio Correas said of Blue Prize. "She’s still young.”

Retiring from racing will be Bob Baffert's duo of multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Vale Dori and champion Abel Tasman, who finished ninth and 10th in the Distaff.

Abel Tasman saved ground while stalking the pace in third before beating a steady retreat.

“She just quit," Baffert said after the race. "She just quit running. Sometimes they do that. ... She just doesn't want to run anymore, it looks like.”

Abel Tasman is owned by China Horse Club and Clearsky Farm and will retire to the latter in Lexington. No breeding plans have been decided for last year's champion 3-year-old filly, who retired with eight wins from 16 starts, with six Grade 1 victories, including the 2017 Kentucky Oaks.

Vale Dori, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, will be boarded at Hill 'n' Dale Farm and bred to Triple Crown winner Justify, who is standing his first season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky in 2019. The mare won 10 of 22 starts, including the Grade 1 Zenyatta in her final race before the Distaff.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman

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