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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Monomoy Girl is the early 2-1 favorite for the Kentucky Oaks but must do so from far outside if she is win the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies.
Monomoy Girl drew the No. 14 post Monday and is one of three Brad Cox-trained entries in Friday's $1 million race at Churchill Downs. Monomoy Girl has five wins and a second in six career starts. She won the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 7.
Cox clearly would have preferred a better draw in the 144th Oaks. Florent Geroux will make his sixth consecutive start aboard Monomoy Girl, who has won her past two races by a combined eight lengths.
"It is what it is. It's horse racing," said Cox, whose other Oaks fillies are Kelly's Humor and Sassy Sienna. "Monomoy Girl is a good filly, and good horses overcome things. She's ready to run."
Midnight Bisou is the 5-2 second choice and will start from the No. 10 post. Trained by Bill Spawr, she is going for a fourth straight graded stakes win in 2018 beneath Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, including the Santa Anita Oaks.
Co-owner Jeffrey Bloom believes Midnight Bisou is in the "perfect" spot.
"We weren't overly concerned about the post position," he said. "We didn't want to have the 1 or the 2, didn't really want to have the extreme outside. I think it's a great opportunity for Mike Smith to be able to get comfortable in terms of letting the horses come out of there and seeing how the race unfolds."
Twelve other fillies drew double-digit odds in the 1 1/8-mile race. My Miss Lilly (No. 11 post) is at 10-1 while Coach Rocks and Chocolate Martini are at 12-1 and starting from the second and fourth posts.
Sassy Sienna drew the rail and is 15-1 with Classy Act, Rayya, Take Charge Paula and Eskimo Kisses. Wonder Gadot is 20-1, with Kelly's Humor, Heavenhasmynikki and Patrona Margarita at 30-1.
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