Mr. Monomoy off Triple Crown trail with minor injury

Mr. Monomoy, who won a division of the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds, essentially securing a spot in the Kentucky Derby with the 50 Derby qualifying points he earned there, is out of training and off the Triple Crown trail.

Mr. Monomoy has a relatively minor ankle injury diagnosed after he came back from a routine gallop last week carrying heat in the joint, according to Liz Crow, who, through BSW-Crow Bloodstock serves as Mr. Monomoy’s racing manager for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Doheny Racing Stable.

“We sent the X-rays to Kentucky and they thought the horse needed 60 days’ rest,” Crow said Sunday.

Mr. Monomoy on Sunday was on his way to WinStar Farm in Kentucky, where he’ll get his time off before rejoining trainer Brad Cox’s stable, likely in late spring.

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“It’s bad timing, but luckily we caught this before it became anything serious,” said Crow.

Mr. Monomoy, by Palace Malice out of Drumette, by Henny Hughes, is a half-brother to champion Monomoy Girl. He won a maiden race at Churchill last fall, ran well in defeat facing allowance rivals in December at Fair Grounds and in the Jan. 18 Lecomte Stakes, and went wire to wire in the first and faster division of the Risen Star last month.

It’s the third stakes-level performer that Cox has lost in the last two weeks. Taraz broke down fatally at Oaklawn Park in a recent workout, while champion Covfefe was retired (reportedly sound) last week after posting a pair of timed workouts toward her 2020 debut.