The Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing on Saturday drew a field of eight 3-year-old fillies. The 1 1/16-mile co-featured race is part of the biggest day of racing at the Philadelphia-area track in which seven stakes have $3.2 million in purse money and complete a massive card of 15 races.
The Cotillion field has three Grade 1 winners including the Kentucky Oaks victor, a pair of $1 million earners, four fillies who appeared on the road to the Oaks and two stakes winners.
Here is a full-field analysis for the Cotillion with the official track morning-line odds from Parx Racing. The race is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. EDT and is listed as race 13 of 15.
1. Scottish Lassie, 9-5. McKinzie – Jorge Abreu / Joel Rosario – 6: 2-0-3 - $677,560. Scottish Lassie had a breakout front-end victory in July when she won the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) against a field of four by more than 15 lengths. She broke her maiden as a 2-year-old in her second start in the Frizette (G1) by nine lengths and then was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. This year, Scottish Lassie also was third in an allowance at Aqueduct in May and then was third in the Acorn (G1). The one to beat.
2. La Cara, 7-2. Street Sense – Mark Casse / Dylan Davis –12: 5-2-0 - $1,192,083. La Cara is the second Grade 1 winner in the field, scoring in the Acorn at Saratoga in June and the Ashland at Keeneland in April. In addition, she won twice on the Oaks trail in the Suncoast at Tampa Downs and the Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs. La Cara last was seen finishing fourth in the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga after being on the lead for the first six furlongs. She should appreciate the cutback in distance. Win contender.
3. Clicquot, 8-1. Quality Road – Brendan Walsh / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 4: 3-0-0 - $258,153. Clicquot won her last three starts with stalking trips after running sixth in her debut in March at Gulfstream Park as the even-money favorite. She broke her maiden at Keeneland in April by six lengths against a field of eight. She then was an allowance winner at Churchill going two turns for the first time. Clicquot became a graded-stakes winner in July in the Indiana Oaks (G3) going the Cotillion distance. Top pick.
4. Indy Bay, 8-1. Take Charge Indy – Saffie Joseph Jr. / Tyler Gaffalione – 7: 4-1-2 - $675,000. Indy Bay was a bargain yearling purchase for $19,000 at Keeneland who has gone on to hit the board in all seven of her starts. She began her career in the winter at Oaklawn with a third and a second in restricted maidens. She was moved to Joseph and won three races in a row, going from a Gulfstream maiden to an Oaklawn allowance and then the Jersey Girl in June at Saratoga by a neck. She was third in the Victory Ride (G3) and last was winning the Charles Town Oaks (G2) a month ago after pressing the pace. She will try to go a distance beyond seven furlongs for the first time in this Grade 1. Use underneath.
5. Not Too Late, 20-1. McKinzie – Uriah St. Lewis / Sonny Leon – 15: 3-1-3 - $198,090. Not Too Late is the most experienced filly in the field with 15 starts at mid-Atlantic tracks. Her past performances are filled with stakes races and allowances, and her two victories after she broke her maiden were in an allowance at Laurel Park as a 2-year-old and the Maryfield at Monmouth Park in June this summer. Not Too Late's most recent start was in the Charles Town Oaks, where she got floated out wide and finished fifth. She will have to stretch out to a route after an extensive record of sprints. Toss.
6. Ourdaydreaminggirl, 30-1. Instagrand – Louis Linder Jr. / Eliseo Ruiz – 8: 2-3-1 - $138,300. Ourdaydreaminggirl runs for a Parx-based trainer and broke her maiden in her fourth try in December going seven furlongs. She moved into stakes races as a 3-year-old and ran second in the Ruthless at Aqueduct in February and fourth in the Wide Country at Parx. After a short layoff, the daughter of Instagrand won an allowance by more than seven lengths. She was second against 13 fillies in the Cathryn Sophia, the local prep race for the Cotillion, in her first start going two turns. Use underneath as a long shot.
7. Good Cheer, 5-2. Medaglia d’Oro – Brad Cox / Luis Saez – 9: 7-1-0 - $1,873,230. Good Cheer is the third Grade 1 winner in the Cotillion. She won her first seven races, ending with the Kentucky Oaks. In her undefeated streak she won five stakes with stalking trips, and three of them were Grade 2 races on the road to the prestigious Oaks victory. She was fifth in the Acorn and then was beaten by Nitrogen in the Alabama while well clear of the rest of the field. Win contender.
8. Dry Powder, 10-1. Gun Runner – Chad Summers / Antonio Fresu – 5: 2-2-1 - $245,400. Dry Powder was a debut winner in March at Gulfstream with a front-end trip going six furlongs after a stretch duel. Only top-three finishes are featured in her five career starts. She was second in an allowance and the Wilton at Aqueduct and a distant third in the CCA Oaks. She took a liking to the Parx track when she beat that overflow field in the Cathryn Sophia by more than four lengths. Live long shot.
Summary: Scottish Lassie, Good Cheer and La Cara are the top three choices in the Cotillion morning line. Deservedly so, as they are the three Grade 1 winners in the field and two of them are millionaires. It is likely that one of them will prevail at Parx on Saturday. Out of those three, I like Good Cheer best.
But I will take a shot with one of the two late-developing fillies in the field. Dry Powder beat a field of 13 in the Cathryn Sophia to establish that she loves the surface at Parx. Clicquot is riding a three-race winning streak with a four-length victory in the Indiana Oaks in July. Trainer Brendan Walsh had plenty of good things to say about her. Irad Ortiz had choices in the Cotillion and opted for Clicquot. In her four starts, she was the favorite three times and was 2-1 in her third race. She shows up with 8-1 morning-line odds. Thus, Clicquot is the top pick.
