Society being asked a couple of tough questions in Monomoy Girl Stakes
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Society, unbeaten in two outings, stretches out and steps up to stakes company in the $160,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on Saturday night at Churchill Downs.
The inaugural Monomoy Girl, with a field of five, highlights what has become a shortened racing week at Churchill Downs. The track canceled both its Wednesday and Thursday cards due to excessive heat. Racing was scheduled to resume Friday afternoon, with thunderstorms in that day’s forecast leading into more pleasant conditions for Saturday’s night racing program, which has a first post of 6 p.m. The compelling 11-race card, which has the Monomoy Girl as the fifth race, also includes several allowance and maiden events.
Society won her debut last October at Keeneland over next-out winner Hypersport, despite being bumped at the start of the six-furlong race. Society did not return to action until an allowance race May 6 at Churchill Downs. In the interim, owner-breeder Peter Blum transferred the Gun Runner filly from Wayne Mackey to the barn of Steve Asmussen, who had trained her sire. In that allowance, Society made nearly all the pace going 6 1/2 furlongs on a sloppy track and kicked clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Joel Rosario was aboard her that day, and Churchill leading rider Tyler Gafflione picks up the mount on Saturday.
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Society’s last-out Beyer Speed Figure was a 78, tied with Imogene Malvina as the best career number in this field. Imogene Malvina has the advantage of having earned her figure going the 1 1/16-mile distance at Churchill Downs of the Monomoy Girl, winning on May 6 for Ignacio Correas.
Miss Yearwood won her maiden going 1 1/4 miles against fillies and mares on April 30 at Churchill Downs, drawing clear by 7 1/4 lengths with a 76 Beyer. She then stepped up to the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico, finishing seventh after being bumped at the start and forced wide.
Miss Yearwood, drawn outside in post 5 under Julien Leparoux, needs some pace to develop around Society, who looks like the most committed speed. Imogene Malvina and Glacken’s Cause both won their most recent starts in pace-tracking fashion and might be capable of turning up the heat on Society.
In other action on the card:
◗ Tarabi, last seen tangling with Eclipse Award champion Echo Zulu, makes her 3-year-old debut in race 10, a $127,000 allowance for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs.
Tarabi was second to Echo Zulu in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga going this seven-furlong distance in September. She then finished third when stretching out around two turns in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies behind Echo Zulu and Juju’s Map.
Tarabi turned in one winter breeze after the Breeders’ Cup, in January at Fair Grounds. Trainer Cherie DeVaux was not happy with how the filly was going and sent her to Kentucky for a complete workup. She returned to the work tab in mid-April at Keeneland and has logged a steady pattern of drills for DeVaux, who has taken her time getting her back to action.
Ontheonesandtwos, second in the Debutante at Churchill Downs as a juvenile, was second to Society last out and would be flattered if that filly runs well. Gaffalione will be in the irons for the Norm Casse barn, which is on a solid run.
Famed, a half-sister to champion Essential Quality, was nominated to the Monomoy Girl but opts for this allowance instead in her first start since January. Trained by Brad Cox, Famed is cutting back from a mile to the distance she won her maiden at last fall, and worked a bullet this week.
◗ At one point, Western River was considered a Belmont Stakes possibility. But after being beaten 10 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont on May 14, he was rerouted back to easier company on Saturday in a 1 1/2-mile allowance, race 2. By Tapit and a full brother to Belmont Stakes winner Creator, Western River is bred to run the 1 1/2 miles.
Western River was an impressive maiden winner going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn in April. Off that, he was fourth behind Rodolphe Brisset-trained stablemate We the People in the Peter Pan, beaten just a nose and a neck for second. We the People finished fourth in last Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
Western River “was just a very immature horse, and I think he’s on the upside,” Brisset said.
Ricardo Santana, who rode Western River to his maiden win, gets back aboard.
Jarreau is the only member of this field to have tried this 1 1/2-mile distance, finishing third in a pair of allowance events at Gulfstream over the winter.