Trainer Brad Cox has twice won the prestigious Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, taking it first with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and then following it up two years later with Shedaresthedevil.
A little less than five months before the May 2 Kentucky Oaks, Cox appears well positioned to potentially win a third. Besides training Immersive, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and all-but-certain champion 2-year-old filly of 2024, he also conditions Good Cheer, winner of the Nov. 30 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, and Muhimma, who improved to 3-for-3 taking the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) for 2-year-old fillies Dec. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Immersive and Good Cheer are first and second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 40 and 20 points, respectively, and Muhimma vaulted into the top 10 by picking up 10 points with Saturday's victory. The top five Demoiselle finishers earned points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
Though Muhimma had not raced in a stakes race or in a route before the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle—her preceding victories had come in Kentucky in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race and seven-furlong allowance optional claimer—the public anticipated her Demoiselle success, backing her to 2-5 favoritism.
She lived up to expectations, taking charge early under Florent Geroux in the two-turn race from her inside post, and after setting comfortable fractions of :23.94, :48.24, and 1:12.55, the towering gray and/or roan daughter of Munnings had enough left to withstand a stretch rally from late-running Ballerina d'Oro. Fending off the smaller filly, she maintained a clear advantage to the wire, hitting the finish line a length in front. She was timed in 1:49.84 for the distance, topped by a closing eighth in :12.43.
Muhimma returned $2.80 to win.
Liam in the Dust, who tracked the early pace under Flavien Prat, showed, ahead of Five a Side in fourth and Carmen's Candy Jar in fifth.
Geroux and Cox won the Demoiselle for the first time, ending a streak of victories in the race from Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, a nine-time Demoiselle winner who had won the previous four runnings.
Pletcher started Carmen's Candy Jar Saturday.
"I'm proud of what our team has been able to do with these horses and I'm proud of the horses," Cox said. "We've been put in a good position with fillies that have responded and now our job is to turn the page on this year and try to execute next year."
Geroux, one of Cox's most utilized riders, has been aboard Muhimma throughout her racing career. He also rode Cox's two prior Kentucky Oaks winners.
He said he gave Muhimma "a few reminders down the lane to keep her busy to the wire," noting she was looking around and losing a bit of focus in the stretch.
Bred in Kentucky out of the stakes-winning, grade 1-placed Tapit mare Princesa Carolina, Muhimma was a $700,000 purchase by Shadwell from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Munnings, the sire of Muhimma, stands next year at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., for $65,000. He was represented by another graded winner on the card when 2-year-old colt Poster won the Remsen Stakes (G2) one race prior to the Demoiselle. His other graded stakes winners this year include Howard Wolowitz and Jaxon Traveler.
"She's big," Cox said of Muhimma. "She's by a very good sire, very good broodmare sire, and the mare herself was good going long."
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