La Rascasse flashes ability in stakes debut with Monomoy Girl victory
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It wouldn't be quite right to dub La Rascasse an upset winner of Saturday’s $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs. Supporters hammered her down from her 4-1 on the morning line to 9-5 on the board as the gates opened, and she returned $5.88 for a win that kept her unbeaten in her young but promising career.
However, it would be fair to call it a surprising result in the Monomoy Girl. Millionaire Percy's Bar, a consistent top-level performer who won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes this spring, was the 7-5 morning-line favorite starting the second half of her season following a seventh in the Kentucky Oaks. Her accomplishments towered over this field on paper, but, showing even money on the board, she checked in fifth, out of the top three for only the second time in her career.
La Rascasse stepped up and stretched out for the Monomoy Girl off a debut win going seven furlongs on April 11 at Keeneland. The filly, who is trained by Will Walden for Resolute Racing, broke well from post 2. Knickleandime, breaking from the rail, was asked early to maintain her rail position and to take the early lead, and with Holly's Holiday, who broke from post 2, content to take back early, La Rascasse found herself in a beautiful stalking position in second under Axel Concepcion.
Meanwhile, Percy's Bar broke well and settled behind the top flight under regular rider Luan Machado. Entering the turn, Machado appeared to be nudging his filly along, and then asking more vigorously when she did not begin reeling in the leaders. Meanwhile, La Rascasse had the jump. She took over approaching the top of the stretch, had daylight between her and Percy's Bar, who briefly worked her way to second, in upper stretch, and extended to the wire, crossing the line 2 1/4 lengths in front.
"She sort of inherited the lead around the turn," Walden said. "She got a little green out there by herself but that will improve with more experience. On paper, we thought [Knickleandime] would be the speed and we’d get a good stalking trip. We were able to get a jump on the other fillies and Axel rode her perfectly.”
The time for the 1 1/16 miles on the fast track was 1:43.13.
Point of Reference, who was last early, rallied to be second by a half-length over A. P.'s Girl, third by a nose over Sneaky Good. It was another two lengths to Percy's Bar, followed by Knickleandime and Holly's Holiday.
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