2020 Eclipse Award Champion Older Dirt Female
Monomoy Girl was a brilliant champion mare who put together one of the most remarkable resumes in modern American racing. She was foaled in 2015 and trained by Brad Cox for a partnership of Sol Kumin's Monomoy Stables, Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables. Her sire was Tapizar, a son of Tapit and the 2012 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile winner, and her dam was Drumette, a daughter of Henny Hughes. She was bought as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale for just 100,000 dollars, a price that would soon look like a true bargain.
Monomoy Girl burst onto the scene as a three year old in 2018. She won the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, the Ashland Stakes, and the 2018 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in a brilliant front running effort that brought tens of thousands of fans to their feet. She kept rolling that summer with wins in the Cotillion Stakes and the 2018 Breeders Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs, where she beat the best older mares in the country. She was named the 2018 Eclipse Award Champion Three Year Old Filly.
She missed all of 2019 due to colic surgery and a minor injury, but she came back strong as a five year old in 2020. The comeback was something out of a movie. She won the Ruffian Handicap at Belmont Park, then the La Troienne Stakes, the Ogden Phipps Stakes, and capped her year with a win in the 2020 Breeders Cup Distaff at Keeneland, beating top rivals Valiance and Swiss Skydiver. The win made her one of the few mares ever to win two Breeders Cup Distaffs. She was named the 2020 Eclipse Award Champion Older Female.
Monomoy Girl retired with 14 wins from 16 starts and earnings of over 4.7 million dollars. She was sold at the 2020 Fasig Tipton November sale for 9.5 million dollars to Spendthrift Farm, where she has joined the broodmare band. Monomoy Girl is remembered as one of the greatest American mares of the 21st century, a champion at three and at five, and a horse whose comeback story made her a true fan favorite.
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