Monomoy Girl starts Kentucky Oaks drive in Rachel Alexandra Stakes

NEW ORLEANS – Last Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs, on a card stuffed with talented 2-year-olds, the fastest horses to race were fillies, not colts. While the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club winner Enticed, a colt, earned just an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, the fillies Road to Victory and Monomoy Girl, separated by a neck at the finish of the Grade 2 Golden Rod, both got 91’s.

While Road to Victory has yet to post a workout as a 3-year-old, Monomoy Girl is ready to begin her season, and she’ll start as the favorite Saturday at Fair Grounds in the Grade 2, $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes.

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Her connections surely hope Monomoy Girl winds up back at Churchill Downs on the first Friday in May for the Kentucky Oaks, and the Rachel Alexandra, race 7 with a scheduled post time of 4:05 Central, is an Oaks qualifying race, offering 85 points distributed 50-20-10-5 to the first four finishers.

Monomoy Girl, trained by Brad Cox for Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables LLC, and the Elkstone Group, will be ridden by Florent Geroux and breaks from the outside gate in field of eight.

Monomoy Girl won her first three starts before her narrow Golden Rod loss, and she has been on the lead in all her races. Rachel Alexandra rivals Classy Act and Actress On Board both are confirmed front-running types, and the draw should permit Geroux to bide his time with Monomoy Girl in this dirt race over 1 1/16 miles.

KEY CONTENDERS

MONOMOY GIRL, by Tapizar

Last 3 Beyers: 91-88-70

◗ She has an unusual profile for an early-season Oaks hope, having been based at Ellis Park over the summer before making her career debut in an Indiana Grand turf race. Cox said Monomoy Girl while training for her first start developed the habit of breaking very slowly, but the filly’s gate habits have improved, and she’s gotten quickly into her races.

◗ She got a short December break while remaining at the racetrack and has, Cox said, worked strongly for her comeback. “We’re expecting a huge race off the layoff,” he said.

◗ Monomoy Girl, carrying her head slightly higher than ideal, dug in gamely after contesting fast fractions in the Golden Rod, but appeared to be tiring in the final furlong. Cox attributed that to the strong, pressured pace, but questions remain about her stamina.

“I don’t know how far she wants to go yet,” Geroux said.

WONDER GADOT, by Medaglia d’Oro

Last 3 Beyers: 76-78-74

◗ She was beaten a neck as the 11-10 favorite here last month in the Silverbulletday Stakes, a race that was fast early and very slow around the far turn and through the homestretch. But Wonder Gadot raced too close to a strong pace that day. Expect her to settle farther off the pace this time for jockey John Velazquez.

◗ Wonder Gadot had trouble in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies before winning the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct last December.

CLASSY ACT, by Into Mischief

Last 3 Beyers: 79-71-56

◗ Dueled on a wicked pace here in a Jan. 19 first-level two-turn allowance, but still pulled away late in an eye-catching performance, albeit over a lightning-fast surface.

◗ Trainer Bret Calhoun, who also starts the late-running stakes winner Patrona Margarita, has seen further improvement since Classy Act’s recent win.

“She’s trained unbelievably well,” he said. “She’s breezing by herself like a good horse now, and hopefully the mental maturity will help her turn off a little, but she does have a very high cruising speed.”

TESTING ONE TWO, by Star Guitar

Last 3 Beyers: 77-79-72

◗ Louisiana-bred filly takes a major step up in class, but has been crushing foes at Delta Downs, and won an open stakes last time out while in total command.

◗ She’s a filly with size and scope who might like Fair Grounds’s full-sized oval better than the small Delta track, and she has shown push-button acceleration and appears to have stamina. The race flow should fit her style and she has an upset chance.