Our Pretty Woman takes Monomoy Girl; It’s Webslinger in Chorleywood
Stakes recaps by Churchill Downs’ Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photos of Our Pretty Girl, above by Renee Torbit, and Webslinger by Kurtis Coady)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, June 15, 2024) – Courtlandt Farms’ promising 3-year-old filly Our Pretty Woman rebounded from an 11th place finish in the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) to collect her first stakes win with a three-quarters of a length triumph over Intricate in the third running of the $173,700 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes on Saturday night at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and ridden by Luis Saez, Our Pretty Woman clocked 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.07.
Our Pretty Woman, who qualified to the Kentucky Oaks with a second-place finish to Tarifa in March’s Fair Grounds Oaks (GII), relaxed in third position after the break as Lucky Speech led the compact field of five 3-year-old fillies with Merasol Sugar in close pursuit through leisurely fractions of :25.08 and :49.96.
“I wanted to make sure she stayed close,” Saez said. “There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race. We were in a good spot around the first turn and she settled well on the backside.”
Merasol Sugar pulled her way to the front into the final turn but Our Pretty Woman quickly ranged into contention as the field hit the top of the stretch in 1:13.98. Merasol Sugar began to tire with three-sixteenths of mile to run and Our Pretty Woman opened up by 1 ½ lengths as Intricate, the Golden Rod (GII) winner and Rachel Alexandra (GII) runner-up, hit her best stride late. Our Pretty Woman had enough to left to turn back the late run.
“Down the stretch she finished up well,” Saez said. “She’s a very nice filly and I’m proud of her effort tonight.”
The triumph was worth $107,200 and boosted Our Pretty Woman’s bankroll to $272,400 from a record of 3-1-0 in five starts.
“I thought Luis did a good job around the first turn to get her into a close spot with the way the pace shaped up,” said Asmussen’s chief assistant Scott Blasi. “She’s a very talented 3-year-old filly. There are a lot of races around the country that she’d fit in for the rest of the summer and fall. We’ll enjoy this race tonight and look forward to what could be next for her.”
Our Pretty Woman is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Speightstown mare Dazzletown. She was bred by Woods Edge Farm LLC and Godolphin.
Our Pretty Woman, the even-money favorite, returned $4.02, $2.44 and $2.10. Intricate, second in the betting at odds of 2-1 under Tyler Gaffalione, returned $3.12 and $2.20 and finished 2 ½ lengths in front of 5-2 Band of Gold who paid $2.18 to show under Brian Hernandez Jr.
Merasol Sugar finished fourth and Lucky Speech was fifth.Promisemeanempire was scratched.
The Monomoy Girl honors the stellar champion mare who was conditioned byBrad Cox. Monomoy Girl, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Tapizar, won 14 of her 17 starts with three seconds for earnings of $4,776,818 from 2017-21. At Churchill Downs, she won six of seven starts including victories in 2017 Rags to Riches, 2018 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), 2018 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) and 2020 La Troienne (GI). Monomoy Girl also won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Keeneland. Her owners from the outset were Michael Dubb and Monomoy Stables LLC, and she concluded her career under the partnership of My Racehorse Stable, Spendthrift Farm LLC and Madaket Stables LLC.
Racing at Churchill Downs continues Sunday with an 11-race Father’s Day program that begins at 12:45 p.m. ET.
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WEBSLINGER RUNS DOWN SUGOI IN $165,900 CHROLEYWOOD STAKES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, June 15, 2024) – D.J. Stable LLC’s Webslinger, third last time out in the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade I) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, collected the fourth stakes win of his career – and third at Churchill Downs – when he displayed a powerful closing kick to run down Louisville Stakes (GIII) winner Sugoi in deep stretch to prevail in Saturday night’s second running of the $165,900 Chorleywood Overnight Stakes by 1 ½ lengths.
Trained by Mark Casse, 4-year-old Webslinger ran 1 3/8 miles over firm turf in 2:14.58 under jockey Jose Ortiz.
In somewhat of a surprise move, Stone Age (IRE) went to the front in the turf marathon ahead of Sugoi, who led from gate-to-wire in last month’s Louisville Stakes. The two were well clear of the others through fractions of :24.47, :48.38, 1:13.72 and 1:38.55 as Webslinger relaxed behind with only one horse beat, Bold Act (IRE), in the field of seven older horses.
“He broke well today and he never really shows much speed early,” Ortiz said. “So, I dropped to the rail and tried to save as much ground as I could. He’s pretty easy to ride so I was confident whenever I needed to tip him out that I’d be able to. I knew the pace would be fast when I saw tonight (jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr.) go to the lead (on Stone Age) over Sugoi who had an easy lead in the Louisville Stakes when he went :50 for the half-mile. So I just let my horse travel well within himself.”
Webslinger was asked for his best run midway through the final turn and he quickly improved position as Sugoi grabbed the lead from a tiring Stone Age (IRE) off the final turn. Webslinger tipped out to the four-path in upper stretch and charged home to collar Sugoi inside final sixteenth of a mile for the convincing victory.
“He fought pretty hard to the wire,” Ortiz said. “I think the way he settled today, he should have no issues going an extra furlong if he needed to.”
Webslinger, the 7-5 betting favorite, rewarded his backers by paying $2 mutuel returns of $4.98, $3.04 and $2.26. Sugoi, the 7-2 third choice under jockey Julien Leparoux, returned $4.26 and $2.60. Bold Act (IRE), ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $2.38 as the 2-1 second betting choice.
Anglophile was fourth and was followed by Stone Age (IRE), Red Run andWinning Spirit (GER). King Curlin, Tawny Port, Utah Beach and Wind Twist were scratched.
The Chorleywood was Webslinger’s third stakes win beneath Churchill Downs’ Twin Spires. Last year, he won both the $500,000 American Turf (GII) and $225,000 Audubon during the Spring Meet. Additionally, Webslinger won the $510,000 Nownownow at Monmouth Park as a 2-year-old.
The $105,836 Chorleywood first prize pushed Webslinger’s bankroll to $1,371,156 with a record of 5-4-4 in 17 starts.
Webslinger is a gelded son of Constitution out of the Hard Spun mare Arana and was bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
The Chorleywood is named in honor of the Thoroughbred retirement farm located in nearby Prospect, Ky. in Oldham County. The 25.1-acre property was originally a Thoroughbred farm owned by George and Janet Falk, dubbed Sunny Acres Farm. The property is now owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated CEO Bill Carstanjen, who partnered with the Thoroughbred transition program Second Strideto provide rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time and may serve 80 horses over a year.
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MONOMOY GIRL QUOTES
Luis Saez (jockey, Our Pretty Woman, winner): “I wanted to make sure she stayed close. There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race. We were in a good spot around the first turn and she settled well on the backside. Down the stretch she finished up well. She’s a very nice filly and I’m proud of her effort tonight.”
Scott Blasi (assistant trainer, Our Pretty Woman, winner): “I thought Luis (Saez) did a good job around the first turn to get her into a close spot with the way the pace shaped up. She’s a very talented 3-year-old filly. There are a lot of races around the country that she’d fit in for the rest of the summer and fall. We’ll enjoy this race tonight and look forward to what could be next for her.”
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CHORLEYWOOD QUOTES
Jose Ortiz (jockey, Webslinger, winner): “He broke well today and he never really shows much speed early. So, I dropped to the rail and tried to save as much ground as I could. He’s pretty easy to ride so I was confident whenever I needed to tip him out that I’d be able to. I knew the pace would be fast when I saw tonight (jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr.) go to the lead (on Stone Age) over Sugoi who had an easy lead in the Louisville Stakes when he went :50 for the half-mile. So I just let my horse travel well within himself. He fought pretty hard to the wire. I think the way he settled today, he should have no issues going an extra furlong if he needed to.”
Julien Leparoux (jockey, Sugoi, runner-up): “He ran well. He tracked just off the lead and I when I was able to get to the front he fought on well but was just second best tonight.”
