Fillies Look to Step It Up in Cotillion

Only one of the nine fillies entered for the Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 25 at Parx Racing comes off a win—and she comes the farthest of all to take part in the 1 1/16-mile test for a $1 million purse.

Private Mission , an Into Mischief   filly out of the Unbridled  mare Private Gift , ran her record to 3-for-4 with a 6 1/2-length victory in the Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) Aug. 21 at Del Mar.

That was the first time she had been asked to go two turns by trainer Bob Baffert and she gave no sign the additional sixteenth will be a problem in the Cotillion. The shipping distance is an unknown as this will be Private Mission's first start outside California.

After the Torrey Pines, Baffert expressed optimism a route of ground would benefit Private Mission.

"We didn't know what she was going to do but we always thought she could run long. This was a good spot and she passed the route test," Baffert said. "That's very important. That's where all the money is."

Flavien Prat, who was aboard for the Torrey Pines, retains the mount on the filly, bred in Kentucky by Mt. Brilliant Broodmares and owned by Charles and Susan Chu's Baoma Corp. The pair will break from post 7.

"We will figure out a plan on game day. I think 7 is ok. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't," Baffert said.

Any thought of returning the filly to Southern California for the Breeders' Cup World Championships will depend on the outcome of a review process set by the organization to determine whether Baffert will be allowed to participate after a series of failed medication tests.

The other eight in the Cotillion field have significantly more experience competing at the top levels among 3-year-old fillies but are short in the win column of their résumés.

Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere  couldn't compete with Malathaat  in the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga in her last start but finished a good second in that heat. The Curlin   filly, trained by Steve Asmussen, hasn't won since the Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots the day before Valentine's Day. She finished fourth in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife  comes to Pennsylvania off a third-place finish in the Alabama but won the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows and the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico Race Course before that. The Declaration of War  filly is trained by Mike Maker.

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, and Barry Fowler's Maracuja  finished last of seven in the Alabama, but upset Malathaat a start earlier to win the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). The Honor Code   filly, trained by Rob Atras, will try to rebound from post 4.

"I was hoping for a middle-type post. I know the turn comes up rather quickly," Atras said. "I was hoping for something between the 4 and 6 posts. I thought that would be good for her. I would (like for) her to hopefully break sharp and that would give Kendrick (Carmouche) some options to where he wants to sit. Hopefully, she will be in a good position."

Willis Horton Racing's Will's Secret , a daughter of Will Take Charge   from the Dallas Stewart barn, finished third in the Kentucky Oaks and fourth in the Alabama.

The seven-furlong Longines Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 7 contributes two fillies to the Cotillion field. Always Carina , a Chad Brown-trained Malibu Moon   filly owned and bred by Three Chimneys Farm, was fourth in the Test after finishing a fading second in the Mother Goose (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park. Obligatory , a Juddmonte homebred filly by Curlin, finished fifth in the Test after running second in the Acorn (G1) in June at Belmont and winning the Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Based on its roster of past winners, the Cotillion richly deserves its grade 1 status. The race was not contested in 2020 when the major 3-year-old races were reshuffled on the calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Street Band  won the 2019 edition, following such luminaries as Midnight Bisou , Songbird , Untapable , Plum Pretty , and Havre de Grace .

Asmussen has saddled the winner in three of the past eight runnings with Midnight Bisou, Untapable, and My Miss Aurelia .

Entries: Cotillion S. (G1)

Parx Racing, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 11

• Grade I
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:02 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Obligatory (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	William I. Mott	10/1
2	2Allworthy (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	12/1
3	3Will's Secret (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	122	Dallas Stewart	12/1
4	4Maracuja (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	124	Rob Atras	8/1
5	5Army Wife (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Michael J. Maker	7/2
6	6Clairiere (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	2/1
7	7Private Mission (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Bob Baffert	9/2
8	8Always Carina (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Chad C. Brown	6/1
9	9Leader of the Band (PA)	Frankie Pennington	122	John C. Servis	12/1