Monomoy Girl heads G1 Cotillion
2017 Cotillion winner It Tiz Well. Photo By Barbara Weidl/EQUI-PHOTO
From a Parx Racing release
The Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes promises to be the most anticipated showdown on the card. Even though she’s 3-5 on the morning line, Monomoy Girl will have to do some serious running in the 1 1/16 mile contest if she is to remain perfect through six starts this year.
Monomoy Girl, a daughter by Tapizar kicked off her 3-year-old year by winning the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on February 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course. She then went on to win her first Grade 1 race in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland before winning the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks by a half-length over race rival Wonder Gadot whose rider, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez claimed foul for interference. After the result stood, the Brad Cox-trained Kentucky-bred went on to add two more Grade 1 victories to her resume starting with the Acorn Stakes on June 9 at Belmont Park and the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 at Saratoga.
Monomoy Girl will break from post 2 under Florent Geroux as the prohibitive favorite with morning line at 3-5.
Wonder Gadot, who looks to win her first career Grade 1 after facing the boys and finishing 10th in the Travers Stakes on August 25 at Saratoga, will be looking to turn the tables on Monomoy Girl here. The Ontario-bred filly by Medaglia d’ Oro, who won Canada’s Sovereign Awards for Champion 2-year-old filly in 2017, swept both the Queen’s Plate Stakes at Woodbine and the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, but trainer Mark Casse and owner Gary Barber elected to instead run her in the Travers rather than seeking to round out the triple.
Though her only two wins this year came north of the border, Wonder Gadot has been consistently hitting the board beginning with two third-place finishes in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes behind Monomoy Girl and the Fair Grounds Oaks respectively. She then finished second in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park before her stretch-dueling loss to Monomoy Girl in the Kentucky Oaks. She then added another runner-up finish in the Woodbine Oaks before winning her next two starts.
Wonder Gadot will break from post 4, and will be joined by John Velazquez in the saddle, at 6- 1.
Hall of Famer trainer Steven Asmussen will send out multiple graded stakes winner Midnight Bisou, who enters the fray with her own impressive resume. Recently third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on August 18 at Saratoga, the filly by Midnight Lute began the year with three straight victories in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes, the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks. She then traveled east to finish third behind the top two rivals in the Kentucky Oaks before she regrouped to find her winning ways in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes on June 30 at Belmont Park.
A runner-up finish three lengths behind Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 at Saratoga set her up for her start in the Alabama, and now never worse than third this year, she will team with Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith from post 7, with morning line at 5-1.
The Chad Brown-trained Separationofpowers (10-1) makes just her third start this year after winning the Grade 1 Test Stakes by a neck at Saratoga. Fourth in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 7 at Belmont Park to begin the year, the daughter by Candy Ride ended her 2-year-old year with a fourth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on November 4 at Del Mar.
Separationofpowers draws post 5 and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.
Others entered to run in the Cotillion are: Norma’s Chain (20-1) in search of her first graded stakes win for trainer Uriah St. Lewis from the rail; Jump Ruler (20-1) for trainer Kelly Breen and jockey Albin Jimenez from post 3; Chocolate Martini (12-1) for trainer Tom Amoss and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 6; and Dixie Serenade (15-1) for trainer Edward Coletti Jr., and jockey Mychel Sanchez from post 8.
The Cotillion will go off as race 10 on the 13-race program. Post time for the race is 4:55 p.m.
COTILLION FIELD
- Norma’s Charm (KY) (20/1) — no jockey named, trainer Uriah St. Lewis
- Monomoy Girl (KY) (3/5) — Florent Geroux/Brad Cox
- Jump Ruler (KY) (20/1) — Albin Jimenez/Kelly Breen
- Wonder Gadot (ON) (6/1) — John Velazquez/Mark Casse
- Separationofpowers (KY) (10/1) — Jose Ortiz/Chad Brown
- Chocolate Martini (KY) (12/1) — Irad Ortiz, Jr./Tom Amoss
- Midnight Bisou (KY) (5/1) — Mike Smith/Steve Asmussen
- Dixie Serenade (PA) (15/1) — Mychel Sanchez/Ed Coletti
