Monomoy Girl nears first work since Breeders' Cup

Monomoy Girl, poised to win her second Eclipse Award, this time as champion older mare, has settled into her winter quarters at Fair Grounds and is scheduled to have her first work since winning the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Distaff sometime during December. She will launch her 2021 season, if all goes well, in the Bayakoa Stakes on Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park.

The Bayakoa is a prep, trainer Brad Cox said, for Monomoy Girl’s major spring goal, the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap on April 17 at Oaklawn Park.

Monomoy Girl has finished first in 11 straight races, since she was second by a neck in the Golden Rod Stakes during fall 2017, although she was disqualified from first to second in the 2018 Cotillion at Parx Racing. She went on to win the BC Distaff that fall and was voted champion 3-year-old filly. She didn’t race for a year and a half, but came back this season to win all four starts, capped by an emphatic second BC Distaff triumph. Spendthrift Farm purchased Monomoy Girl at auction days after her Breeders’ Cup win.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

Monomoy Girl forms just one segment of Cox’s strong Fair Grounds stable. Also bedded down in New Orleans right now are Essential Quality, the likely Eclipse Award winner as champion juvenile following victories in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and the BC Juvenile. Cox expects Essential Quality, like Monomoy Girl, to have his first post-Breeders’ Cup work before year’s end, but no plans have been made regarding his early 2021 racing schedule.

Cox, however, said he’s pointing high-level 2-year-old filly Travel Column to the Rachel Alexandra Stakes in February at Fair Grounds. Travel Column, who also is galloping steadily at Fair Grounds, rallied sharply to beat Fair Grounds-based Clairiere in the Grade 2 Golden Rod last month at Churchill.

Mandaloun, a Juddmonte Farms homebred colt by Into Mischief, worked an easy half-mile Dec. 12, his first Fair Grounds breeze, and is being pointed to the Jan. 16 Lecomte Stakes. Mandaloun won his debut over 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland and a first-level allowance race at seven furlongs Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.