Bonny South Kicks Off Campaign With G3 Doubledogdare Win

It’s been a Keeneland meet to remember for Munnings after Bonny South (4f Munnings x Touch the Star, by Tapit) followed up Kimari’s Grade I victory with a determined win in the Grade III Baird Doubledogdare Stakes.

Making her seasonal debut, the Grade II winner galloped comfortably in fourth under Florent Geroux as they raced around the Keeneland oval in the the 1 1/16 mile race. Entering the far turn, Bonny South started making her move and by the time they hit the quarter pole, she had the lead.

Showing her determination, Bonny South was in a three-way battle to the wire in the stretch and wasn’t going to let her lead go. The 4-year-old filly kept her head in front all the way to the line to add a fourth victory to her record.

“I felt like physically she’d moved forward from (age) 3 to 4,” said trainer Brad Cox. “She’s certainly been working that way in the mornings. She had a big work last weekend at Churchill and was kinda touting herself. Florent did a good job realizing there wasn’t a lot of pace. She had a little bit of a wide trip and dug in late. I was very proud of her.”

Only off the board in one of her six stakes attempts, the Juddmonte homebred is also Grade I-placed with Cox indicating that Grade I races are in the card again for 2021.

“Hopefully (it’s a schedule) full of Grade Is – that would be the goal,” he said. “The (Juddmonte) Spinster would be a race that definitely would be on the radar, having the Juddmonte connections. Hopefully we can get her there and off to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Bonny South is one of two stakes horses for her dam Touch The Star, alongside her Grade III-placed full sister Sun Path. Touch The Star is a half-sister to Grade I winner Etoile Montante and stakes winner Uno Duo. A strong producing family, there are 13 stakes horses under Bonny South’s second dam.

Touch The Star also has a 2-year-old Munnings colt named Star Alignment.

It’s been another excellent year for Munnings, whose 14 stakes horses include six stakes winners led by Grade I winner Kimari.