Monomoy Girl makes CCA Oaks fourth Grade 1 win of year

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - By the time they reached the quarter pole in Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, Monomoy Girl had discarded a modest pace challenge from Gio Game and was bracing for another one from Midnight Bisou.

“And here we go,” Larry Collmus, the track announcer said, anticipating a stretch battle between the top 3-year-old dirt fillies in North America.

But, in a matter of a few strides, away Monomoy Girl went, running from Midnight Bisou and cruising to a three-length victory in the CCA Oaks in a performance that may have cemented a divisional championship.

Monomoy Girl won her fifth race in as many starts this year and her fourth Grade 1. She won the Ashland at Keeneland, the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs - beating Midnight Bisou - and the Acorn at Belmont before Sunday’s victory in the CCA Oaks.

“Racing a lot of times is what have you done for me today, but four Grade1’s for a 3-year-old, whatever happens the rest of the year I think she wrapped up a championship,” said Michael Dubb, who owns Monomoy Girl along with Sol Kumin’s Monomoy Stable, the Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables.

“I would like to think so, but I think there a few races left,” trainer Brad Cox said.

Monomoy Girl seems to be getting better with each race. Her speed figures are getting better and, to listen to jockey Florent Geroux, Monomoy Girl is maturing.

“Sometimes she puts the brakes on by the three-eighths pole and she starts looking around and slowing herself down,” Geroux said.

“Today, she stayed a little bit longer, all the way until the eighth pole, and in the end she’s really waiting on company, that’s why the margin is never going to be 15 lengths.”

Geroux hustled Monomoy Girl away from the gate and though Gio Game tried to go with her, Monomoy Girl had a half-length advantage through a quarter in 24.12 seconds, and a half-mile in 48.23. Monomoy Girl inched away from Gio Game around the far turn.

Mike Smith had Midnight Bisou in third, moving to within 1 1/2 lengths of the lead with three furlongs to go. He moved Midnight Bisou within a length of the lead at the quarter pole, but couldn’t match strides in the lane.

“I thought I had a shot at her, but man, she kicked into another gear and look it ain’t like I got beat by just some horse,” Smith said. “I got beat by the best - right now - 3-year-old filly in the country and it wasn’t an embarrassing beat. We’ll just have to regroup.”

Midnight Bisou finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of Chocolate Martini. Eskimo Kisses and Gio Game completed the order of finish.

Monomoy Girl, a daughter of Tapizar, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.46 and returned $3 as the 1-2 favorite. Midnight Bisou had been favored as the field began to load, but approximately $206,000 came in on Monomoy Girl in the final minute.

Before the race, Cox said that he would likely run Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing on Sept. 22 as her last race before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

On Saturday, Cox left the door open for a possible start in the Grade 1 Alabama, at 1 1/4 miles, here on Aug. 18.

“If this was a mile and a quarter, I would have felt confident she would have went another eighth of a mile,” Cox said. “It’s something we’ll think about.”