Not much to see here, except for an exceptional champion and protem Horse of the Year, the five year old mare Monomoy Girl.
Her coming from Kentucky was announced well in advance and she scared off all but four rivals away, all of which appear seriously overmatched on paper.
But in order to get paid, all must complete the course and that’s what the races are for.
Monomoy Girl had an impressive prep for this at Churchill Downs, her first start in 18 months and the connections are in no rush to introduce a second turn at this juncture.
So the Ruffian, a Grade 1 at Belmont Park at one mile around a single turn, was a complete no-brainer for connections that include trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux.
For the others, as if her presence weren’t daunting enough, she drew post five, a perfect spot for today’s dynamics.
What bettors must look forward to is a free square in their horizontal wagers. However, straight bettors could expect a payoff as low as 10 cents on the dollar.
