Expert Pick of the Week: 
2023 Monomoy Girl Stakes

Oct 23, 2023 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A field of seven fillies and mares will go piostward in an allowance event in Race 4 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The one-mile main track affair features a quality cast and is led by the return of champion Monomoy Girl. The chestnut, who is unraced since November of 2018, drew the post 2 for her much-anticipated comeback. She is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Monomoy Girl was bred in the Bluegrass State and is just a neck shy from crossing the wire first in each of her 11 lifetime appearances. The daughter of Tapizar put in a memorable sophomore campaign in 2018, going six-for-seven with five Grade-1 tallies. She was last seen capturing the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs .

The bargain $100,000 purchase has been steady on the worktab dating back to late February, and she has been sharp with a trio of bullet drills among them. Monomoy Girl dons a 4-3-0-1 local line, and the Brad Coxs trainee will be poised for a big return race beneath regular pilot Florent Geroux.
Lady Kate might have the best chance to complete the exacta in the not-so-ordinary allowance venture. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, the 4-year-old bay is a winner twice from a trio of 2020 assignments, and the daughter of Bernardini looks like a good fit in the one-turn race.
The Kentucky-bred shows a 3-2-1-0 mark at today’s trip, and drawing outside of her foes will give returning pilot Jose Ortiz options throughout the race. She has tactical speed and will be ready to pounce at the top of the lane if the pace is swift and contested.
An exacta with Monomoy Girl on top of Lady Kate is the Best Bet of the Week.

The full Churchill Downs horse racing analyst crew is back and looking at the return of spring racing in Kentucky! Host Joe Kristufek asks Handicappers Ed DeRosa, Scott Shapiro and James Scully what they are looking for this weekend in racing from Louisville.