By Richard Rosenblatt
Two-time Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Monomoy Girl will race in 2021 after all.
Monomoy Girl – US Racing Photo
The 5-year-old filly’s amazing comeback story took another giant stride forward Sunday, when Spendthrift Farm purchased her for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale and announced she would continue racing.
Ned Toffey, Spendthrift’s general manager, told drf.com, “She’s a superstar, she’s an all-timer. She’ll go back to Brad Cox, and that’s the plan right now – we’ll let her decide, but as long as everything stays the same. She appears to be very sound, the vet checked her out, everything looks good. She’ll go back in training another year, and then we’ve got a stallion or two that might suit.”
Monomoy Girl won the $2 million Distaff on Saturday at Keeneland to close out 2020 with a 4-0 record after being sidelined for 18 months. A winner in 13 of 15 races – and second in the other two — Monomoy Girl won the 2018 Distaff and captured the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly. Her earnings stand at more than $4.4 million.
Brad Cox, who tied Richard Mandella’s Breeders’ Cup record with four wins in a BC event, will remain as trainer.
Monomoy Girl was consigned by the Elite Sales of business partners Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow, as agent for the ownership partnership of Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.
The Distaff was supposed to be the final race of Monomoy Girl’s career, but after the race Dubb cast some doubt when he said the owners would discuss her future.
The selling price matched the second highest among racing or broodmare prospects sold at public auction in North America, according to drf.com. 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace sold for $10 million in 2012; and two-time Eclipse winner Songbird sold for $9.5 million in 2017.
Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm also purchased Grade 1 winner She’s a Julie for $3 million, and multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy for $2.7 million during the sale. Toffey also said Got Stormy, fifth in the BC Turf Sprint on Saturday, also will race in 2021 as a 6-year-old and remain with trainer Mark Casse.
BC Classic and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic will stand at Spendthrift when he is retired, but a decision on whether the colt will race as a 4-year-old has not been announced.
Midnight Bisou pricetag: $5 million
Midnight Bisou – US Racing Photo
Midnight Bisou, the 2019 Eclipse Award winner as the top older dirt female, went for $5 million, purchased by Allen Racing (Chuck Allen), a partner of the mare who bought out fellow-partners Bloom Racing and Madaket Stables.
The 5-year-old mare was retired with a sesamoid fracture while training for the Breeders’ Cup and finisher career with a stellar record of 22-13-6-3 and earnings of $7,471,520. She won five Grade 1’s, and finished second in the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 1 in the final race of her career.
Midnight Bisou also ran second in the $20 million Saudi Cup, which was won by Maximum Security. However, the purse money for “Max” is being withheld pending results of a federal investigation concerning former trainer Jason Servis.
Over the years while working at The Associated Press, Rich Rosenblatt became a familiar name to legions of the horse racing fans and industry insiders with his award-winning articles on horse racing and his stories from the backstretch.
In addition to being an astute observer of sports, Rosenblatt is the co-author of The All-American Chili Cookbook. His work has been seen in just about every publication in the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine.