Monomoy Girl retires as one of the top mares of her era

The Breeders’ Cup mislaid 1 of its shining stars this week erstwhile Spendthrift Farm announced 6-year-old mare Monomoy Girl has been retired aft suffering a non-displaced fracture of her close beforehand sesamoid.

Talk astir class, the girl of Tapizar was 1 of the poster girls for consistency implicit a 17-race vocation that saw her decorativeness with 14 victories, including 7 Grade I stakes, and 3 seconds. One of the seconds came aft she won the Grade I Cotillion astatine Parx Racing successful September 2018 but was disqualified and placed 2nd down Midnight Bisou for interference.

“I’m going to miss having her astir and not being capable to enactment a saddle connected her again, but Monomoy Girl owes america nothing,” trainer Brad Cox said successful a Spendthrift property release. “She’s an unbelievable mare and volition ever clasp a peculiar spot successful my bosom arsenic our archetypal (Kentucky) Oaks winner, Breeders’ Cup victor and champion.”

Monomoy Girl, who sustained the wounded during a greeting gallop astatine Churchill Downs connected Tuesday, volition statesman her breeding vocation astatine Spendthrift Farm successful Lexington, Kentucky.

She volition ever beryllium remembered arsenic the 3-year-old pistillate champion who was forced to miss her 4-year-old run due to the fact that of a bout with colic but returned arsenic a 5-year-old to triumph past fall’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff astatine Keeneland to climax a 4-0 year.

Sold astatine the 2020 Fasig-Tipton merchantability for a grounds $9.5 cardinal pursuing the Breeders’ Cup, her caller owners (Spendthrift, MyRacehorse and Madaket Stables) elected to support her successful grooming and she finished her vocation with a triumph successful the Grade III Bayakoa Stakes astatine Oaklawn Park connected Feb. 28 and a runner-up decorativeness down Letruska successful the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap astatine Oaklawn connected April 17.

“Certainly, we are disappointed, particularly for each of our partners,” Spendthrift’s Ned Coffey said successful the property release. “While we were hopeful to get her backmost to the races this year, we won’t suffer absorption connected what is astir important and that is simply a steadfast Monomoy Girl. She’s an all-time large and we look guardant to the adjacent section of her vocation and giving her a large beingness connected the workplace astatine Spendthrift.”

Monomoy Girl earned $4,776,818 during her superb career, a fig that ranks 5th highest among ungraded females all-time down lone Midnight Bisou, Zenyatta, Beholder and Royal Delta.

Del Mar purse hike

The seaside track’s eighth autumn season, which begins Wednesday, Nov. 3 and volition see the 38th variation of the Breeders’ Cup connected Nov. 5-6, is offering a 20% blended rise successful overnight purses compared to past year.

Del Mar, which enjoyed a coagulated summertime conscionable that concluded Sept. 6, volition besides proceed its fashionable Ship and Win programme that has helped boost tract sizes and the year-round equine colonisation astatine not lone Del Mar but the full state.

The purse increases volition look similar this:

— Maiden peculiar weights leap from $57,000 to $70,000.

— First-level allowance races spell from $59,000 to $72,000.

— $16,000 claimers volition contention for $30,000 alternatively of $26,000.

“Our summertime conscionable was bonzer connected each fronts,” Del Mar vice president and racing caput David Jerkens said successful a statement. “Our racing was conscionable astir the champion we’ve ever seen present and our Ship and Win programme continues to springiness Del Mar – and California racing – a tremendous boost.”

Del Mar enjoyed a grounds for regular mean wagering of $18.38 cardinal during its 31-day summertime meet.

The Ship and Win programme saw 180 caller horses marque 272 starts during the 2021 summertime meet. Since the programme began successful 2011, Ship and Win has attracted much than 1,600 horses that made much than 2,200 starts. The aforesaid horses made much than 4,500 starts astatine different tracks successful the state, chiefly astatine Santa Anita, Los Alamitos and Golden Gate Fields.

The programme volition proceed its statement with Santa Anita, which began connected a full-time ground this past summer. Eligible horses from retired of authorities who commencement erstwhile astatine Santa Anita’s autumn conscionable tin contention for a 30% purse bonus.

Follow Art Wilson connected Twitter @Sham73