Celebrated for her resilience, dependability, and fierce competitive drive, Monomoy Girl became a beloved favorite among horse racing enthusiasts globally. Securing ten graded stakes victories—which featured seven triumphs at the Grade 1 level—she firmly established herself as an elite female runner of her era and put the finishing touches on a spectacular racing record. Within an incredibly competitive field of high-caliber stakes performers, she dominated the division for two consecutive years, with her pair of Breeders’ Cup Distaff titles serving as the ultimate hallmarks of her outstanding career.
The champion mare’s lineage is deeply intertwined with Breeders’ Cup glory. Tapizar, her sire, claimed victory in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile by a margin of 2 ¼ lengths, while her maternal grandsire, Henny Hughes, took runner-up honors in the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile alongside his four graded stakes wins as a two- and three-year-old. Notably, Henny Hughes is also the sire of Beholder, who captured three Breeders’ Cup titles, further strengthening Monomoy Girl’s genetic ties to the prestigious autumn championship.
During the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, Franklin Park Farm’s Brendan Gallagher noticed Drumette, who was carrying a foal by Tapizar, and acquired her alongside partner Michael Hernon of Highfield Ranch. Tapizar had recently commenced his breeding career at Gainesway Farm, the venue where Hernon spent more than two decades as sales director before stepping down in 2020. Alongside Gallagher’s wife, Olive, the associates purchased Drumette for a sum of $75,000 and relocated her to Franklin Park, where she gave birth to a chestnut filly during the early morning hours of March 26, 2015.
Offered through the Gainesway consignment at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling auction, the young horse attracted the attention of bloodstock adviser Liz Crow. Bidding on behalf of an ownership group that comprised Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, Michael Cohen, and Michael Dubb, Crow successfully purchased the daughter of Drumette for $100,000.
Kumin later recounted how the future champion received her name. The filly was named Monomoy Girl in reference to the Monomoy neighborhood of Nantucket, which is home to Madaket partner Jim Carey, and serves as a tribute to Carey’s daughters and wife. Under the tutelage of Louisville-born trainer Brad Cox, the highly regarded youngster made her racing debut on September 5, 2017, at Indiana Grand (currently Horseshoe Indianapolis), delivering a commanding 3 ¾-length victory that offered a glimpse of her immense potential.
Determination and Triumph
Cox chose Churchill Downs for the final three races of her two-year-old campaign, where she secured two wins, highlighted by a breakthrough stakes victory in October’s Rags to Riches Stakes. In her initial graded stakes appearance, she took second place in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes, narrowly failing to withstand a late surge from Road to Victory. Ending her freshman year with three wins from four starts, she emerged as a primary contender for the upcoming 2018 Kentucky Oaks.
She launched her sophomore campaign in Louisiana, securing her maiden graded stakes triumph in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes. A subsequent victory in Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes provided Brad Cox with his milestone first Grade 1 win, which was quickly followed by a second in the Kentucky Oaks. In that historic race, she lined up against a highly competitive group featuring Midnight Bisou, a future champion, and Wonder Gadot, the subsequent Queen’s Plate victor. Taking command on the final turn, Monomoy Girl engaged in a fierce homestretch battle with Wonder Gadot, ultimately digging deep to secure a half-length win.
Her summer and autumn campaign in 2018 yielded further Grade 1 trophies in the Acorn Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks. Although she crossed the wire first in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx, she was relegated to second place due to interference after veering inward in the stretch and impeding Midnight Bisou. She quickly made amends at Churchill Downs during the Breeders’ Cup, returning to the track where she won the Oaks. Facing a formidable lineup that included Midnight Bisou, Wonder Gadot, 2017 Oaks winner Abel Tasman, and Spinster Stakes victor Blue Prize, she smoothly swept past Wonder Gadot on the final turn and held off all challengers to the wire. Kumin noted that her season-ending victory brought a sense of relief, putting a definitive stamp on her incredible campaign.
Kumin added that she truly seemed to be the class of her division, noting that the team would have faced immense disappointment without a victory, given her peak form throughout the entire season.
Following her exceptional season, Monomoy Girl received the Eclipse Award for champion three-year-old filly, building a passionate fan base that looked forward to her four-year-old campaign. Unfortunately, her 2019 season was plagued by difficulties. An initial bout of colic postponed her planned spring return, and though she was back in Cox’s training program by mid-July, she suffered a muscle strain during a morning breeze, prompting her owners to shut her down for the rest of the year.
Returning to the track as a five-year-old, she quickly rediscovered her championship form, displaying the same unwavering consistency of her sophomore year. She initiated her comeback with a comfortable 2 ¾-length victory at Churchill Downs in mid-May, followed by her first graded stakes score in over twelve months in Belmont Park’s Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes on July 11. Keeping her sights on a return to the Breeders’ Cup, she then captured the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes—held on the rescheduled Kentucky Oaks undercard—besting a field that featured Vexatious and Horologist.
Keeneland hosted a spectator-restricted Breeders’ Cup in early November, yet the fields remained exceptionally strong. Competing in her second career Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Monomoy Girl lined up against Preakness champion Swiss Skydiver, Delaware Handicap winner Dunbar Road, and Ce Ce, winner of the Beholder Mile.
Positioned comfortably in fourth path during the early stages of the 2020 Distaff, she waited for her cue before launching her bid near the top of the homestretch. Surging clear to secure a 1¾-length victory, she completed a perfect four-for-four campaign and secured her second Eclipse Award, earning honors as the year’s champion older dirt female.
To Kumin, this second Distaff victory felt more unexpected, reflecting that it was incredibly gratifying because horses returning from such extended layoffs rarely recapture their peak form. He noted that the atmosphere surrounding the race felt different and carried far less pressure than her initial Breeders’ Cup win, making the experience truly special.
A Deep Connection
Offered at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Monomoy Girl was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for an incredible $9.5 million. She continued her racing career as a six-year-old under a joint ownership agreement involving Spendthrift, MyRacehorse Stable, and Madaket Stables, capturing the Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park before running a close second to Letruska in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap. A sesamoid injury sustained later in the year brought an end to her racing days. She retired with a phenomenal record of 14 wins and three runner-up finishes from 17 lifetime starts, accumulating $4,776,818 in prize money and never once finishing off the board.
When comparing Monomoy Girl to the other elite racehorses he has owned—a roster that boasts 2018 Triple Crown champion and Hall of Fame inductee Justify—Kumin ranks her at the absolute top. He stated that two female runners stand out above all others in his stable: Lady Eli and Monomoy Girl.
Kumin remarked that acquiring a horse as a yearling, selecting their name, and watching them compete in your own racing colors fosters an incredibly deep personal connection.
In describing what set the two-time Breeders’ Cup champion apart, Kumin pointed to her relentless drive, noting her love for a battle and her uncanny ability to locate the finish line and secure a victory.
It was this determination that sustained Monomoy Girl through physical setbacks and guided her back to victory time and again, leaving turf enthusiasts with unforgettable memories of her courage and elegance.
