Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Cox in no great rush to get Monomoy Girl back to races
Champion filly Monomoy Girl had her third work of the year Sunday at Fair Grounds, going a half-mile in 49 seconds, but while Monomoy Girl is coming around nicely toward her 4-year-old debut, trainer Brad Cox is in no hurry to pinpoint where that will come.
“I don’t want to feel like I have to have her at her very best in mid-April; I want to have her at her best for the Breeders’ Cup,” Cox said Sunday. “I’m not going to put her feet to the fire first race of the year. I’m not going to train her like that.”
Monomoy Girl has been on a Sunday work schedule since she resumed workouts Feb. 17 following a late-2018 break at a Florida farm, and because of that caught a fast track without having to alter her work pattern. Persistent rain has turned the Fair Grounds surface muddy or sloppy for many recent morning-training sessions, but Monomoy Girl happened to dodge the rain.
“She breezed really well today. She went early, and the track was in good shape,” said Cox.
Monomoy Girl’s connections are considering four races for her first 2019 start – the Madison Stakes over seven furlongs and the Doubledogdare Stakes over 1 1/16 miles, both at the Keeneland meet in April; the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park; and the La Troienne at Churchill Downs.
Monomoy Girl finished first in all seven of her starts last year – including the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff – though she was disqualified to second behind Midnight Bisou in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing.
In other Cox-barn news, 3-year-old Owendale worked a half-mile Sunday, his first timed exercise since an eighthplace finish Feb. 16 in the Risen Star Stakes. Owendale, an encouraging first-level dirtroute allowance winner on Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds, is being considered for the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park or the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, Cox said.
Cox said the graded-stakesclass turf horse Mr. Misunderstood had his first work of the year Sunday, though the drill didn’t make the work tab because it began at the quarter-mile pole and ended at the seven-furlong marker on the clubhouse turn.
Finally, Cox confirmed that Harlan Punch, vanned off the track after a second-place finish Feb. 16 in the Mineshaft Handicap, has been retired. Harlan Punch sustained a serious but non-life-threatening ligament injury during the Mineshaft and has been shipped to a farm in Kentucky.
Casse 3-year-olds drill
Dream Maker had his final work Saturday at Fair Grounds for the Tampa Bay Derby, while stablemate War of Will had his first work for the Louisiana Derby.
War of Will, winner of the Lecomte and Risen Star stakes at this meet and the near-certain Louisiana Derby favorite, was merely in maintenance mode, but Dream Maker worked in company, putting the finishing touches on his preparation for the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby. Dream Maker, with Florent Geroux up, was timed in 49 seconds for a half-mile over a track rated good.
“We let him quicken up the last eighth and gallop out around the turn,” said David Carroll, Fair Grounds assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “I was a little concerned since it was foggy and there was so much water, but overall you always feel so comfortable with this surface. I just loved the energy level he showed. When you really let him go and gallop out, he does want to drift out a little when he’s doing that, but he’s done it all the time and there’s no real reason for it.”
Dream Maker was to depart Fair Grounds late Tuesday and arrive at Tampa Bay Downs the following day. “We’ll let him settle in, school in the paddock, and get a feel for the place,” said Carroll.
War of Will is scheduled to work twice more before racing March 23 in the $1 million Louisiana Derby.
Hugh Robertson on the mend
Trainer Hugh Robertson had a stroke last week because of a fully blocked carotid artery, but Robertson, reached by phone Monday morning, said he’s regaining his health.
Robertson was at his Fair Grounds barn before training hours when people around him noticed a problem.
“Luckily, they caught it early. No paralysis,” Robertson said. “They went in and cleaned it out, put a stent in. Other than being a little weak, I’m not in too bad a shape. I haven’t been back to the barn yet, but I might go tomorrow afternoon.”
Robertson, 68, said he plans to send many of his horses to his son, trainer Mac Robertson, and cut his stable back to 12 or 15 horses this spring.