Monomoy Girl heads to the site of her famous Wonder Gadot victory. It was a sweet victory after she prevailed over her rival by a half-length following a fierce stretch duel in the famed Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Now the daughter of Tapizar is back at the home of the Twin Spires, ready to face older horses for the first time in the US$2 million race that could lock up an Eclipse Award for her as the champion 3YO filly.
She faces Abel Tasman, who won the 2017 Kentucky Oaks and was second later in the year in the BC Distaff, Wonder Gadot, and Midnight Bisou, who was declared the winner of the US$1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing when Monomoy Girl was disqualified and placed second.
Monomoy Girl was part of a historic double for owner Sol Kumin of Monomoy Stables during her last race at Churchill Downs. Kumin, who owns the filly along with Michael Dubb, Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group and Mike Caruso’s Bethlehem Stables, also owned a share of Justify and became the first owner since 1952 to win the Kentucky Derby and Oaks on the same weekend.
This time he’ll chase a BC Distaff-Breeders’ Cup Classic double with even more gusto as he owns part of Catholic Boy and Yoshida in the BC Classic and during the summer he also bought a share of Midnight Bisouthrough his Madaket Stables, giving him two main contenders in each race.
Click here to watch Longines Distaff Winner Race 2017
1st Forever Unbridled (J:John R. Velazquez,T:Dallas Stewart), 2nd Abel Tasman (J:Mike E. Smith,T:Bob Baffert), 3rd Paradise Woods (J:Flavien Prat,T:Richard E. Mandella), 4th Elate (J:Jose L. Ortiz,T:William I. Mott), 5th Mopotism (J:Lanfranco Dettori,T:Doug F. O'Neill), 6th Champagne Room (J:Mario Gutierrez,T:Peter Eurton), 7th Romantic Vision (J:Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.,T:George R. Arnold, II)
1.Champagne Problems (Jockey ,Calvin Borel Trainer Ian Wilke), 2. Abel Tasman (Jockey ,Mike Smith Trainer Bob Baffert), 3. La Force (Jockey Drayden Van Dyke,Trainer Patrick Gallagher), 4. Mopotism (Jockey Mario Gutierrez Trainer Doug O'Neill), 5. Wonder Gadot (Jockey ,Irad Ortiz Jr.Trainer Mark Casse), 6. Verve's Tale (Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr,Trainer Barclay Tagg), 7. Midnight Bisou (Jockey ,John Velazquez Trainer Steven Asmussen)
Distance: 1 1⁄8 miles (9 Furlongs), Surface: Dirt, Track: left-handed, Qualification: Fillies & Mare, three-years-old & up,Weight: Assigned, Purse: US$2,000,000