Cotillion Stakes H. (Grade I)

[With Anticipation]

Parx Racing - Saturday, September 21, 2013
Race 10 - 5:10 PM
Cotillion Stakes H. (Grade I)

Purse $1,000,000. For Fillies Three Year Olds. By subscription of $250 each if made on or before Saturday, July 6, 2013 or $1,000 if made on or before Monday, September 2, 2013, $2,000 to pass the entry box, $3,000 additional to start, with $1,000,000 guaranteed. The purse to be distributed: $10,000 to all starters with the balance of the purse to be divided: 60% to the winner, 20% to second, 11% to third, 6% to fourth, and 3% to fifth. Weight: 122 Lbs. Winners of a grade I race at a mile or over in 2013 to carry 2 Lbs. additional. Non-winners of a graded race at a mile or over in 2013 allowed 3 Lbs. of $60,000 at a mile or over in 2013, 5 Lbs.; This race will not be divided. A field of 14 horses will be drawn with the preference given to Graded/Group stakes winners in order (I-II-III), stakes winners, then highest career earnings. Starters to be named through the entry box by the usual time of closing. Early nominations closed Saturday, July 6, 2013 with 42. Late nominations closed Monday, September 2, 2013 with 5. A trophy will be presented to the winning owner, trainer and jockey. One And One Sixteenth Miles.

1 Flash Forward (KY) 3/F L R Maragh 119 D Schettino
2 Carnival Court (KY) 3/F L L Saez 117 K P McLaughlin
3 Dancing Afleet (PA) 3/F L A Cintron 122 T F Ritchey
4 Asiya (KY) 3/F L I Ortiz, Jr. 117 K P McLaughlin
5 Seaneen Girl (KY) 3/F L P Lopez 122 B S Flint
6 My Happy Face (KY) 3/F L J Castellano 117 C C Brown
7 Sweet Lulu (KY) 3/F L J R Leparoux 117 J Hollendorfer
8 Promise Me More (KY) 3/F L J L Ortiz 117 S M Asmussen
9 Close Hatches (KY) 3/F L M E Smith 124 W I Mott
10 Street Girl (KY) 3/F L A Castillo 119 M J Azpurua

[ElPrado2]

What! Pletcher has 850 3 year old fillies and nothing in a Gr 1! Has the world ended...

Go Carnival Court!

[Northport]

Close Hatches/Sweet Lulu

[Izvestia]

Well, two of his best are on the shelf until next year.

[weatherbird]

Why would Princess of Sylmar, and her Pennsylvania connections, pass this race and, instead, take on Royal Delta for 60% of this purse? Actually, the answer is "Close Hatches". CH is the only filly that could take the 3 year-old Eclipse away from Sylmar, by beating her for a second time then adding the BC Distaff. Seems unusual to say that Princess of Sylmar is ducking a race, in order to run against Royal Delta, but that's actually the case here. Now, Close Hatches is no lock in here and certainly not at Santa Anita, but the Sylmar connections won't tempt fate.

[BaroqueAgain1]

I seem to remember this question coming up in a conversation with the Princess's owner, and he said he preferred keeping her in New York, where she could just walk out of her own stall to go race.

[weatherbird]

I seem to remember this question coming up in a conversation with the Princess's owner, and he said he preferred keeping her in New York, where she could just walk out of her own stall to go race.

Correct, this is the company line.

[Flanders]

I seem to remember this question coming up in a conversation with the Princess's owner, and he said he preferred keeping her in New York, where she could just walk out of her own stall to go race.

I thought he said something along the lines of, she had already beaten all the 3yo fillies and it was time to set sights higher?

[Flanders]

I seem to remember this question coming up in a conversation with the Princess's owner, and he said he preferred keeping her in New York, where she could just walk out of her own stall to go race.

I thought he said something along the lines of, she had already beaten all the 3yo fillies and it was time to set sights higher?

“I prefer the Beldame,” said Stanco, who added that he would let trainer Todd Pletcher make the decision. “My view at the beginning of the year was she’s a 3-year-old – she should race with 3-year-olds. Now, post-Alabama, she has beaten every 3-year-old. All of a sudden, my view is she’s graduated from the 3-year-olds; maybe it’s time she moves up to the next level.”

http://www.drf.com/news/saratoga-prince ... ame-stakes

[Northport]

cant really blame him. If POS was in the Cotillion people would complain she was too good and is ducking older competition (RD), but now that she's in the tougher race that isn't good enough either

[dustino140]

Why would Princess of Sylmar, and her Pennsylvania connections, pass this race and, instead, take on Royal Delta for 60% of this purse? Actually, the answer is "Close Hatches". CH is the only filly that could take the 3 year-old Eclipse away from Sylmar, by beating her for a second time then adding the BC Distaff. Seems unusual to say that Princess of Sylmar is ducking a race, in order to run against Royal Delta, but that's actually the case here. Now, Close Hatches is no lock in here and certainly not at Santa Anita, but the Sylmar connections won't tempt fate.

Is there a phrase that means the exact opposite of hitting the nail on the head?

[Curlin]

Why would Princess of Sylmar, and her Pennsylvania connections, pass this race and, instead, take on Royal Delta for 60% of this purse? Actually, the answer is "Close Hatches". CH is the only filly that could take the 3 year-old Eclipse away from Sylmar, by beating her for a second time then adding the BC Distaff. Seems unusual to say that Princess of Sylmar is ducking a race, in order to run against Royal Delta, but that's actually the case here. Now, Close Hatches is no lock in here and certainly not at Santa Anita, but the Sylmar connections won't tempt fate.

Is there a phrase that means the exact opposite of hitting the nail on the head?

Missing the mark?

Close Hatches beat Princess of Sylmar off a layoff. How many times has POS beaten her since? With POS being the first filly since Open Mind to win the Ky Oaks, CCA Oaks and Alabama, the thought of Close Hatches coming close to winning the Eclipse is laughable. Perhaps the poster was kidding, dustino?

[Flanders]

Missing the mark?

Close Hatches beat Princess of Sylmar off a layoff. How many times has POS beaten her since? With POS being the first filly since Open Mind to win the Ky Oaks, CCA Oaks and Alabama, the thought of Close Hatches coming close to winning the Eclipse is laughable. Perhaps the poster was kidding, dustino?

POS is not a good nickname. I was thinking who are they calling a piece of S*&^. hahaha

Anyway, Princess beat her in the Kentucky Oaks but that was the only other time they met this year. Close Hatches finished 2nd in the Acorn to Midnight Lucky and then won the Mother Goose. That was her last race, so she is coming into this race on a 3 month layoff.

But I agree on the Missing the mark thing.

[PJMIII]

Sweet Lulu, Close Hatches square off in Cotillion

Unhappy three years ago when his champion filly Blind Luck lost narrowly while giving 10 pounds to Havre de Grace, Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will see his undefeated Grade 1 winner Sweet Lulu receiving weight from most of her major rivals in Saturday's renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing over 1 1/16 miles.

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editoria ... i?id=39729

[peeptoad]

Flash Forward.

[Curlin]

Missing the mark?

POS is not a good nickname. I was thinking who are they calling a piece of S*&^. hahaha

But I agree on the Missing the mark thing.

I'm typing on a tablet so hence the unfortunate abbreviation of her name.

[Hoist The Flag]

Distance might be a problem but I Like Sweet Lulu. Hollendorfer wouldn't come across the country for nothing.

[Kay16]

cant really blame him. If POS was in the Cotillion people would complain she was too good and is ducking older competition (RD), but now that she's in the tougher race that isn't good enough either

Well can't satisfy everybody and honestly either position would have a point. You could say the Cotillion is the easier spot and sure competition wise it is but it's not like it's a really weak field here or appears to be some kind of lock for her. She'd have to travel, it's a 1 1/16 which gives horses like Carnival Court a better chance and maybe even Close Hatches judging by her Mother Goose, Close Hatches has already beaten her and if you don't think too much about the Oaks and Acorn, she could be just as good as Princess of Sylmar and may still be improving a good amount. Although Princess of Sylmar also revenged that loss in the Oaks, Close Hatches ran far from her best race there. As for the Acorn, not even POS is beating Midnight Lucky in a 1 turn mile. POS beat Carnival Court last out, but CC was no where near seasoned enough to put forth her best against POS and Fiftyshades. CC's connections were looking just for a placing, and they got it. This race is a 1 1/16 and with that race under CC, she may be a lot tougher. Horses like Authenticity, RD, Centring, Summer Applause are or could be tougher for her than the 3 year olds, but a loss in the Cotillion would hurt her "title lock" she seems to have more than a loss in the Beldame especially if she can do really well in the Beldame. And of course a win in the Beldame would do much more for her than the Cotillion.

[dustino140]

Why would Princess of Sylmar, and her Pennsylvania connections, pass this race and, instead, take on Royal Delta for 60% of this purse? Actually, the answer is "Close Hatches". CH is the only filly that could take the 3 year-old Eclipse away from Sylmar, by beating her for a second time then adding the BC Distaff. Seems unusual to say that Princess of Sylmar is ducking a race, in order to run against Royal Delta, but that's actually the case here. Now, Close Hatches is no lock in here and certainly not at Santa Anita, but the Sylmar connections won't tempt fate.

Is there a phrase that means the exact opposite of hitting the nail on the head?

Missing the mark?

Close Hatches beat Princess of Sylmar off a layoff. How many times has POS beaten her since? With POS being the first filly since Open Mind to win the Ky Oaks, CCA Oaks and Alabama, the thought of Close Hatches coming close to winning the Eclipse is laughable. Perhaps the poster was kidding, dustino?

'Missing the 'mark' works. I genuinely hope they were kidding.

[weatherbird]

cant really blame him. If POS was in the Cotillion people would complain she was too good and is ducking older competition (RD), but now that she's in the tougher race that isn't good enough either

which "people" is that? Nobody would ever say that any horse is "too good" to be running in a million dollar Grade 1.