LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The 144th Kentucky Oaks got pretty physical near the end, with Churchill Downs stewards asked to rule on the outcome.
Trainer Brad Cox breathed a sigh of relief when Monomoy Girl's number stayed up despite bumping her nearest rival in the stretch, followed by a postrace objection by the rider of the offended filly.
"At first, I didn't think there was anything to it," said Cox, who had two other 3-year-old fillies in the field of 14. "But as I got down to the track (for unsaddling and, he hoped, a winner's-circle photo) and saw the replay, I said, 'Oh, yeah."'
Finally, when the objection light went off and Monomoy Girl's No. 14 stayed on top, the 38-year-old Cox, who grew up two blocks from the home of the Kentucky Derby, could exhale.
Recounting the race, with jockey Florent Geroux negotiating Monomoy Girl from far outside, Cox said, "It was unbelievable. It worked out just the way we planned. This was the trip we were hoping for."
Though Monomoy Girl and Wonder Gadot traded paint, so to speak, in the stretch, second-place trainer Mark Casse did not argue with the stewards' ruling.
"There was contact, and it made our filly switch her leads," Casse said. "I think it was going to be really close, but I think the stewards made the right call. To take a horse down in this type of race, it would have to be pretty significant. As much as I would like to have won, I understand the ruling."
Monomoy Girl's winning margin was a half-length after a fast-rated nine furlongs in 1:49.13. Wonder Gadot, ridden by John Velazquez, finished a hard-luck second, same as when nosed out by Sassy Sienna in Oaklawn Park's Grade 3 $400,000 Fantasy Stakes April 13. (Sassy Sienna and Kelly's Humor, Cox's other Oaks starters, placed sixth and eighth, respectively.)
In a $1 million Grade 1 race, "At least I have to take a chance (on claiming foul)," said Velazquez. "I mean, I'm fighting the whole way around and all of a sudden the last sixteenth of a mile she goes to back her left lead because she got bumped."
Midnight Bisou, the near 5-2 favorite off a last-out Grade 1 win in California, finished almost four lengths farther back in third, and that only with strong late running outside two-time Oaklawn winner Eskimo Kisses. Shuffled back early under Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou had it rougher from post 10 than Monomoy Girl from No. 14.
"The inside horses made a right turn leaving the gate and ran right into me," Smith said. "It cost me position. I don't know if (it) cost me the race but it cost me enough."
Midnight Bisou, never worse than third, went for the lead on the far turn, joined at the quarter pole by Wonder Gadot.
"She tried putting the brakes on until she saw Wonder Gadot," said Geroux. "When the other filly got head to head, I gave her a few slaps to keep her interested, but she can be quirky. You can get after her too much and she stops. I kept hand-riding her and she pulled away at the end."
Second choice in the betting, Monomoy Girl paid $7.20, $4.60 and $3.60. "A lot of people gave up when she got the 14 post," Cox said, "but I didn't. We learned a lot more about her today."
Monomoy Girl collected $564,200 and, with six wins and a second from seven starts, has earned $1,120,700. A September maiden winner at Indiana Grand, the Tapizar filly gave Cox his first Grade 1 victory as a trainer in Keeneland's Ashland Stakes April 7.
Belmont Park's Grade 1 Acorn June 9 might be next for Monomoy Girl, said Cox, with long-range targets of the 3-year-old (filly) championship "and the Breeders' Cup (at Churchill Downs) in the fall."
Sports on 05/05/2018