Multiple champion Monomoy Girl arrived at Spendthrift Farm Sept. 27 where she'll begin her transition to a career as a broodmare and next year be bred to the farm's two-time leading North American sire Into Mischief .
"It is really exciting to have these kinds of horses, to have her join Beholder in the broodmare band and eventually Got Stormy will be here soon herself," said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift's general manager. Beholder is a four-time champion who was raced by Spendthrift founder B. Wayne Hughes and retired in 2016. Got Stormy, raced by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift is a seven-time graded stakes winner, who in August won the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T). "This is the kind of broodmare band we want to have and hopefully we'll have daughters out of these great mares for years to come."
Regarding breeding Monomoy Girl to Into Mischief, Toffey said it follows the adage "breed the best to the best."
"No question, she is one of the best. I think when you have this level of horse, you worry a bit less about the nicking and some of the subtleties. It is best not to over-think things," Toffey said.
Into Mischief with Tapit-line mares has been a quite successful cross, having produced turf stakes winner Travieza and multiple graded stakes-placed winners in Soup and Sandwich, second in this year's Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) at Gulfstream Park; Just a Smidge, third in the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park; and, Valletta, second in the Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park. Out of 15 runners bred on this cross as of Sept. 27, 11 are winners with an Average Earnings Index of 1.79.
When bred to black-type-winning mares, Into Mischief has sired 18 black-type winners (8% from foals).
For the immediate future, Monomoy Girl will be eased into her new life as a broodmare, according to Toffey.
"Because she was retired with a minor injury, we'll go very slow with the acclimation process," he said. The 6-year-old daughter of Tapizar was retired Sept. 21 when she returned from a routine gallop slightly off in the right front. An x-ray revealed a non-displaced fracture of the sesamoid.
"She's walking sound today and it's not anything that will require surgery. It's just unfortunate that it will end her racing career," said trainer Brad Cox, when the mare's retirement was announced.
Monomoy Girl will spend about 30 days in a quarantine barn the farm uses for fillies and mares coming off the track. She will get hand-walked and turned out in a small pen until she starts to lose some of her fitness and vigor from training. She then will be transitioned to a small paddock and eventually paired up with another filly before her transition to the area of the farm where barren and maiden mares are kept, according to Toffey.
Monomoy Girl retires with a 14-3 record from 17 starts and earnings of $4,776,818. She won 10 graded stakes, seven of them grade 1, on her way to being named champion 3-yeaer-old filly for 2018 and champion older dirt female of 2020. This year she won the Bayakoa Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park and was runner-up to Letruska by a nose in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).
