2023 Cotillion Stakes Preview

The $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) is the other top-level event on the flagship day at Parx Racing. The race, at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, is a major destination in the 3-year-old fillies’ division as well as a perennial prep for major stakes races late in the season like the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

In fact, the Cotillion is an even older race than its open-company complement, the Pennsylvania Derby. Racing fans have enjoyed the Cotillion since 1969, when the eventual hall of fame inductee Shuvee won it at Liberty Bell Park. The race moved to Keystone Racetrack (the place later known as Philadelphia Park, and now called Parx Racing) in 1974, and has been run there ever since.

Much like the Pennsylvania Derby, though, the Cotillion has built significantly in importance during the 21st century, as trainers keep running sophomores against their own age group for longer before showing up in races like the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Major winners in the last 20 years include Ashado, Havre de Grace, Plum Pretty, Close Hatches, Untapable, Songbird, and Clairiere.

Cotillion Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, September 23
• Track: Parx Racing in Bensalem, PA
• Post Time: 5:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 1/16 miles on the main track
• Age/Sex: three-year-old fillies
• Where to Watch: TVG.com, FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

2023 Cotillion Stakes Draw and Odds

These are the nine 3-year-old fillies entered in the 2023 Cotillion Stakes, along with posts, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines for each horse.

Cotillion Stakes Prep Race Results

Eight of the nine entrants in the Cotillion ran in stakes company last out.

Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous comes out of a top-level win; she won the Test by a neck last out, though would likely have finished second had Maple Leaf Mel not fallen a few strides before the wire. Defining Purpose also comes out of top-level company, as she was third behind Randomized in the Alabama (G1) last out.

Five others come out of stakes races below the Grade 1 level. Ceiling Crusher won the Torrey Pines (G3) last out at Del Mar, while Occult won the Monmouth Oaks (G3) in her last outing. Imonra and Hoosier Philly were sixth and eighth, respectively, in the Charles Town Oaks (G3). Foggy Night and Majestic Creed were first and third, respectively, in the ungraded Catherine Sophia Stakes, the local prep for the Cotillion.

Just Katherine is the only one coming out of a non-stakes race. She won a first-level allowance against older horses at Saratoga on September 4.

Cotillion Stakes Contenders

These are the nine contenders in the 2023 Cotillion Stakes, sorted by their post positions.

1. Foggy Night: Even though this Robert Reid, Jr. trainee prepared with a win in the ungraded Cathryn Sophia, she has plenty of graded experience. She was a well-beaten second after some trouble two back in the Monmouth Oaks and won the Delaware Oaks (G3) two back. Her tactical speed is a positive, as is her proven ability to handle the course, though carving a trip from the inside may prove tough.
2. Ceiling Crusher: As sharp California speed stretching out to this trip, she will probably be the speed of the speed, which is a positive given how Parx tends to play at this trip. She won her graded stakes debut last out in the Torrey Pines, showing she doesn’t need to stick to state-breds. The concern is that she could run into trouble so close to the inside, especially since she only finished third as the odds-on favorite two back in the Fleet Treat, after running into early trouble. However, if she runs back to her only 1 1/16-mile try at Santa Anita Park three starts back, she could be a threat from start to finish.
3. Pretty Mischievous: The Kentucky Oaks winner has gone one-turn distances in her last two starts, winning the 1 1/16-mile Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park by a neck, and winning the seven-furlong Test by the same margin last out. She proved potent at two turns, however, not only in the Oaks but also in her Rachel Alexandra (G2) win over the same distance as the Cotillion. She will not be right on the lead, even with her blinkers, but she is versatile enough to run winning races whether the pace is hot or moderate.
4. Hoosier Philly: She looked like a potential class leader at age two, but this year, she has been hit-or-miss. It’s hard to hold a poor effort in the Charles Town Oaks last out against her too much, as Charles Town is a bullring and tends to be love-it-or-hate-it. However, the bigger question is whether she is fast enough to be a win candidate in this: she has yet to run a race as fast as several of her foes, and she will not have an easy time early while having to battle the likes of Ceiling Crasher and Defining Purpose on either side.
5. Occult: She won the 1 ⅛-mile Busanda as a juvenile, though after a disappointment in the Gazelle (G3) to start the year, she stepped off the Oaks trail and onto a sporadic racing schedule this year. She has run just twice since: she closed for third behind Pretty Mischievous in the Acorn after some early trouble and then romped in the Monmouth Oaks last out. This is a class test, and the worry is that she might be overbet given that she is trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Irad Ortiz. But, her tractability, affinity for the distance, and ability to run well fresh are all points in her favor for this spot.
6. Just Katherine: She won a first-level allowance at 1 ⅛ miles at Saratoga in stalk-and-pounce fashion, beating a field that included older horses and doing so in fast enough fashion to fit in this field. She does have some stakes experience, and though she was well beaten in her only graded attempt, that was back in April, so it appears she is a better horse now. Keep an eye on how the track is playing: Parx can be very friendly to horses who make the top, but if horses are able to win from stalking trips and not just wire-to-wire, Just Katherine has value appeal.
7. Defining Purpose: The Ashland last out proved a little bit too long for her, meaning the turn back to 1 1/16 miles is a major plus. She won the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland over this distance, as well as the Indiana Oaks (G3) two starts back. Her forward running style is a positive as well; much like with Just Katherine, her chances depend on whether stalkers are getting a fair shake, or if it is one of those days at Parx where you just make the lead and keep going.
8. Imonra: She came into her own during the spring at Gulfstream Park, after the championship meet ended. She finished a credible-enough second in the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks (G3) on July 8, her graded-stakes debut. Like Hoosier Philly, she came up flat in the Charles Town Oaks though. That track can be hit or miss, so it is hard to tell what her actual form is based on that. She should improve on the stretch back out to this trip, though she is unlikely to make it on or near the lead and may end up pace-compromised on the win end.
9. Majestic Creed: With 14 starts underneath her, 12 of them at Parx, she has proven more than anyone else that the surface at Parx suits her. Class is the question, of course. She looked sharp in her victory two back against older, but not only was that a $25,000 starter allowance but it was also a race washed off the lawn. She was no match for Foggy Night in the Cathryn Sophia Stakes last out, and now faces an even deeper field, meaning it looks like she is up against it as anything other than a horse ensuring an early pace through the opening stages.

Cotillion Stakes FAQ

Q: When and where is the Cotillion Stakes?

A: The race happens Saturday, September 23 at Parx Racing in Bensalem, PA. Scheduled as the 12th of 14 on the card, the race is set to go at 5:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. It is the co-featured race along with the Pennsylvania Derby.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Cotillion Stakes?

A: Steve Asmussen leads all trainers with five wins in the Cotillion between 2012 and 2022. Though he has an entrant in the Pennsylvania Derby, he does not have a horse in the Cotillion. Among trainers who are running in the race this year, whoever wins will be a first-time winner.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Cotillion Stakes?

A: Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous, who stretches back out to two turns after the Test last out, is the morning-line favorite for the Cotillion at 2-1. Off of her strong and consistent year, she should be a well-defined favorite in the race.

Q: Who is the best Cotillion Stakes jockey?

A: Mike Smith leads all jockeys with four wins in the Cotillion, most recently with Midnight Bisou in 2018. Among jockeys who are riding in the 2023 edition of the race, Florent Geroux leads with two. He goes for his third win with Foggy Night this year.

Q: Who won the Cotillion Stakes in 2022?
A: Society won the 2022 edition of the Cotillion Stakes for jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Steve Asmussen. Asmussen does not have an entrant in 2023, though Geroux takes the call on Foggy Night.