Take Charge Milady. (Renee Torbit/Coady Media)
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Martha Washington winner Take Charge Milady spoiled the return of Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Immersive in Saturday’s fourth running of the $168,450 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs with a neck victory following a thrilling shoulder-to-shoulder stretch battle.
Take Charge Milady, who was making her first start since finishing 12th of 13 in the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), ran 1 1/16 miles in a stakes record 1:43.17 under Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode for trainer Kenny McPeek and owners James Ball, Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing and Kenneth Rhodes.
Immersive, previously unbeaten in four starts, was making her first start winning the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Del Mar last November. Sent to post as the hot 2-5 favorite in the field of four 3-year-old fillies, Immersive was pinned down on the rail for the first six furlongs of the race as Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) runner-up Anna’s Promise dictated the terms through fractions of :23.32, :46.94 and 1:12.10 with Take Charge Milady tracking in third from the outside.
Leaving the final turn, a seam for Immersive opened along the rail as Anna’s Promise began to fade. She cut the corner with Take Charge Milady three-wide into the lane.
“She was fine on the inside but when I got through, she was just steady,” said Immersive’s New York-based rider Manny Franco. “She didn’t show a big punch to go through there.”
The two matched strides down most of the stretch but Take Charge Milady wrestled a narrow advantage with a furlong to run and held firm to hand Godolphin’s champion homebred her first defeat.
“In a four-horse field you have to really zero in on where everyone else will be placed in the race,” Hernandez Jr. said. “We knew Immersive didn’t’ have much early speed and had a good idea that (Anna’s Promise) would go to the front. Knowing our filly, I knew if I could get her in a good spot and make it a little uncomfortable for Immersive as long as possible, she was going to be a little better since Immersive is coming off a layoff. That’s really what it boiled down to today.”
The triumph was worth $107,200 and boosted Take Charge Milady’s bankroll to $538,669 from a record of 3-2-0 in seven starts. This was her second stakes win to go along with the $300,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park in January. Take Charge Milady also finished second in $750,000 Ashland (GI) behind recent Acorn (GI) winner La Cara prior to the Kentucky Oaks.
“This is only the second time I’ve ridden her,” Hernandez Jr. said. “Even in the Ashland, she fought all the way through the wire. She seems like she wants to gut it out and fight for the win.”
Take Charge Milady is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Take Charge Indy out of the Scat Daddy mare Price too High. She was bred by Merribelle Stable LLC.
Take Charge Milady, the 4-1 third betting choice, returned $10.22 and $2.72 (there was no show wagering). Immersive, trained by Brad Cox, paid $2.10 to place.
Anna’s Promise, at 3-1, was another 11 lengths back in third and 12-1 Princess Aliyah, the $200,000 Valley Of The Vapors winner at Oaklawn this winter, was another three lengths back in last. Minnesota Munny and Running Away were scratched.
“I’m really proud how much she fought down the lane today,” McPeek said. “I always have so much trust in Brian, everyone knows that. He rode a great race and I think the waters will get deeper now after this race.”
The Monomoy Girl honors the stellar champion mare who was conditioned by Cox. The 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 a 10-race Father’s Day program that begins at 12:45 p.m. ET.
MONOMOY GIRL QUOTES
Brian Hernandez Jr. (jockey, Take Charge Milady, winner): “In a four-horse field you have to really zero in on where everyone else will be placed in the race. We knew Immersive didn’t’ have much early speed and had a good idea that (Anna’s Promise) would go to the front. Knowing our filly, I knew if I could get her in a good spot and make it a little uncomfortable for Immersive as long as possible, she was going to be a little better since Immersive is coming off a layoff. That’s really what it boiled down to today. This is only the second time I’ve ridden her. Even in the Ashland, she fought all the way through the wire. She seems like she wants to gut it out and fight for the win.”
Kenny McPeek (trainer, Take Charge Milady, winner): “I’m really proud how much she fought down the lane today. I always have so much trust in Brian (Hernandez Jr.), everyone knows that. He rode a great race and I think the waters will get deeper now after this race.”
Manny Franco (jockey, Immersive, runner-up): “She was fine on the inside but when I got through, she was just steady. She didn’t show a big punch to go through there.”
