She's perfect in sprints, but Taraz is looking like a two-turn type

NEW ORLEANS – Taraz is a huge 2-year-old filly and even after only two starts her reputation is nearly the equal of her size.

Horse people having nothing to do with Taraz were buzzing about her Sunday morning at Fair Grounds following Taraz’s 11 1/4-length win in the $75,000 Letellier Stakes here Saturday. Taraz didn’t burn up the clock, running six furlongs in 1:10.83, but won handily without ever being asked for run by jockey Florent Geroux while leaving the impression there’s plenty more in the tank and that distances longer than this six-furlong trip aren’t going to be a problem. She earned an 87 Beyer Figure in the Letellier.

Brad Cox, who trains the Juddmonte Farms homebred, is reserving judgement on Taraz’s two-turn ability for now, in part because her sire, Into Mischief, does not throw a lot of long-winded fillies. But Taraz looks nothing like a typical Into Mischief filly, towering over her peer group and covering a massive amount of ground with every stride, and she’s out of a mare by Belmont Stakes-winner Empire Maker with plenty of stamina on the dam’s side of her pedigree.

“Just watching her in the post parade yesterday, the pony couldn’t keep up with her,” Cox said. “Even at a walk her stride is just so long.”

Cox – and other eyes on the backstretch – say with conviction that Taraz trains at least as well as she races, and while she’s only a 2-year-old filly, Cox isn’t having an easy time finding appropriate company for team workouts.

And remember this: Taraz, who debuted with an easy maiden sprint score at Churchill Downs, isn’t close to the most accomplished 2-year-old filly trained by Cox. That honor belongs to British Idiom, who will be champion 2-year-old filly after winning the Grade 1 Alcibiades and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to close out her season. British Idiom is nearing her first Fair Grounds timed workout – which could even happen before Christmas – and is being aimed at the Rachel Alexandra Stakes here on Feb. 15.

Taraz also might not start again until February; that’s the tentative plan as of now. Cox wants to try the filly around two turns in her next race, but isn’t sure where and when he’ll do so, though if Taraz’s connections prefer not to face British Idiom here at Fair Grounds, a trip to Oaklawn (where Cox runs a string) for a race like the Martha Washington over one mile would make sense.

Meanwhile, the Cox-trained 2-year-old colt Mr. Monomoy, a brother to champion Monomoy Girl, finished a decent second making his first start around two turns and against winners in the 13th race Saturday. Mr. Monomoy had the lead at the sixteenth pole but couldn’t hold off Lynn’s Map, losing by a head as the 6-5 favorite. Still, Cox said he’s inclined to press forward to the Jan. 18 Lecomte Stakes with Mr. Monomoy.

“The race is a little longer, so let’s answer the question about how far he wants to go as soon as we can,” Cox said.

Cox has another stakes-level 2-year-old male in Louisiana, Answer In, who took a narrow loss last out in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park and currently is stabled at Louisiana Downs. Answer In is being considered for a possible start in the Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17 at Oaklawn.