Kentucky Oaks Results 2018: Monomoy Girl Edges out Wonder Gadot to Take Win

Monomoy Girl held off Wonder Gadot during a highly contested stretch run to win the 2018 Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 144th running of the race for three-year-old fillies developed into a head-to-head battle over the final furlongs. Monomoy Girl, who took the lead just before the final turn, did enough to stay clear of a hard-charging Wonder Gadot to hit the wire first.

Midnight Bisou rounded out the top three.

Wonder Gadot jockey John Velazquez filed an objection following the race saying his horse was knocked off course by Monomoy Girl while the two horses were side by side in a fight for position. The stewards dismissed the claim after review, upholding the result.

At The Races highlighted the stretch run:

Monomoy Girl picks up her sixth victory in seven career starts, including her second consecutive Grade I triumph. She also won the Central Bank Ashland Stakes last month.

Wonder Gadot, a 20-1 longshot in the morning-line odds, was a surprise contender with second choice Midnight Bisou unable to make up enough ground after a sluggish start.

Monomoy Girl, a Brad Cox trainee who was ridden by Florent Geroux, takes home the $600,000 winner's payout from the $1 million Oaks purse.

Looking ahead, the focus now shifts toward Saturday's Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the 2018 Triple Crown schedule. Justify is the favorite with My Boy Jack, Audible, Mendelssohn, Good Magic and Bolt d'Oro serving as the main challengers in the 20-horse field.