Monomoy Girl set to resume training

Monomoy Girl on Thursday night was all but certain to be honored at Gulfstream Park with an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly of 2018. Three hundred miles northwest, at Paul Sharp Stables in Williston, Fla., the filly herself presumably will be none the wiser.

But on Monday or Tuesday, she’ll know something is up when she boards a van and heads west to rejoin trainer Brad Cox’s string at Fair Grounds.

“Bring her back early next week,” Cox said. “That’s the plan.”

Monomoy Girl had a spectacular 2018 campaign, crossing the wire first in all seven of her starts, with her lone loss coming via a disqualification in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx on Sept. 22. Midnight Bisou, elevated to first in the Cotillion, finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, in which Monomoy Girl defeated older horses in her first try.

Now Monomoy Girl is an older horse herself – older and potentially better.

“After the Cotillion, you could really see her wake up and become a little more serious in her training,” Cox said. “Obviously, I only got to run her one time after that, but start to finish throughout the year she was showing focus and maturity. If she comes back and can do that again this year, she’ll be very competitive in all these Grade 1’s.”

If she comes around in good time, Monomoy Girl could return to racing in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. If she needs a little more time, she could await the Churchill Downs meeting in May. Monomoy Girl has been in light training and will start off jogging next week.

“We’ll let her determine when it’s time to start breezing,” Cox said.

Already at Fair Grounds after a winter break in Florida, Cox said, is Arklow, who arrived Wednesday morning. Fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf to conclude his 2018 campaign, Arklow could make his 2019 debut in the Muniz Memorial Stakes on March 23 at Fair Grounds if all goes well.