(La Rascasse wins the Monomoy Girl Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

LA RASCASSE MAKES IMPRESSIVE STAKES DEBUT IN $175,000 MONOMOY GIRL

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, June 13, 2026) – La Rascasse, owned by John Stewart’s Resolute Racing, impressed in her stakes debut as she put away pacesetter Knickleandime with 2 ½ furlongs to the finish and turned back all challengers to win Saturday’s fifth running of the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes (Black Type) at Churchill Downs by 2 ¼ lengths over Point of Reference. Grade I winner Percy’s Bar, the even-money favorite, finished fifth in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies.

          Making her stakes debut after a debut maiden win over seven furlongs at Keeneland in April, La Rascasse remained unbeaten in two starts by clocking 1 1/16 miles in a stakes record 1:43.13. She bested Take Charge Milady’s mark of 1:43.17 from a year ago.

          Axel Conception rode the winner for trainer Will Walden.

          Stakes-placed Knickleandime, the longest-priced filly at 18-1, went to the front through early splits of :23.42 and :47.46 as La Rascasse, the 9-5 second betting choice, relaxed off her right hip in second and Percy’s Bar raced in fourth down the backstretch. La Rascasse was asked to move midway through the final turn, and she quickly spurted clear after clocking six furlongs in 1:11.46. Percy’s Bar challenged from second at the top of the stretch but chased to no avail and was passed by rivals in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“She’s a very nice filly,” Concepcion said. “She has a lot of maturity for her age. It was a straightforward trip. We sat just off the speed and when I asked her she had a strong kick. She got a little green late but she still ran hard.”

          The triumph was worth $105,950 and boosted La Rascasse’s bankroll to $168,183.

“Axel gave her a great trip,” Walden said. “She sort of inherited the lead around the turn. 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.”

La Rascasse is a Kentucky-bred daughter of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic out of the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Hallawallah. She was bred by Bill Klisit.

La Rascasse returned $5.88, $3.72 and $4.36. Point of Reference, the 8-1 fourth betting choice under jockeyFlorent Geroux, returned $7.92 and $8.44. A.P.’s Girl, ridden by Danny Sheehy, was another half-length back in third and paid $7.20 at odds of 16-1.

Sneaky Good, Percy’s Bar, Knickleandime and Holly’s Holiday completed the order of finish.

          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 nine-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m. ET.

MONOMOY GIRL QUOTES

 Axel Concepcion, jockey, La Rascasse, winner: “She’s a very nice filly. She has a lot of maturity for her age. It was a straightforward trip. We sat just off the speed and when I asked her she had a strong kick. She got a little green late but she still ran hard.”

Will Walden, trainer, La Rascasse, winner: “Axel (Concepcion) gave her a great trip. She sort of inherited the lead around the turn. 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.”