Always a Runner seeks a return to victory in the Cotillion
The winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) will headline a field of nine fillies contesting this Saturday's $1,000,000 Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing. Chad Brown opted to skip the Alabama to arrive specifically prepared for this target
BENSALEM, Pennsylvania (Special for Turf Diario).— Always a Runner has already secured on her record the victory that every American three-year-old filly dreams of achieving. Now she needs to get back into the winner's circle. The Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine will headline a field of nine contenders this Saturday in the Cotillion Stakes(G1), one of the major features on the card at Parx Racing. Carrying a $1,000,000 purse over 1700 meters on the dirt, the Cotillion will see the Chad Brown trainee break from post 4 with José Ortiz back in the saddle.
Her presence stands out clearly based on class. Following her coronation at Churchill Downs, Always a Runnercollided twice in a row with Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) during the Saratoga summer meeting, and on both occasions she had to settle for second best.
First came the Acorn Stakes (G1), followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Brown had the option to push forward toward the Alabama Stakes (G1), but preferred to hit the pause button and plot a different route. He chose the Cotillion as her next target and, with only days to go before the race, is particularly pleased with that call. “I’m glad she maintained her form and excited to run her there,” the trainer explained.
Her preparation leaves no room for doubt. The track, however, does. Parx possesses unique quirks, and Brownacknowledges that handling the surface will be one of the decisive factors.
“It’s a big question mark whether she’ll handle the track. It’s a very unique surface and we’ll see how she responds, but I couldn’t be happier with the way she’s been training,” he added.
Following two defeats at the hands of Counting Stars, the absence of that archrival offers the daughter of Gun Runner an ideal opportunity to reclaim top billing in the division.
Joseph arrives with a strong two-pronged attack
Should the favorite encounter any trouble, Saffie Joseph Jr. appears to hold enough firepower to take advantage.
The trainer will send out an entry composed of My Miss Mo (Uncle Mo) and Bodacious Bay (Not This Time), who finished first and second, respectively, in the Monmouth Oaks (G3). My Miss Mo will once again have Tyler Gaffalione in the irons and benefits from breaking from post 1, while Bodacious Bay will start right alongside her from post 2 under Micah Husbands.
For Bodacious Bay, it will also mark her stable debut under Joseph's banner. Following her runner-up effort in the Monmouth Oaks, she was acquired by a group led by C2 Racing and St. Elias Stable, and was promptly thrust into a far more demanding test.
The post position draw could prove particularly crucial, as Joseph's duo will occupy the inside stalls, with Always a Runner positioned just slightly further out.
Flanking them, Zany (American Pharoah) will break from post 3 with John Velazquez. Outside of Always a Runnerare Iron Orchard (Authentic), who will carry Luis Saez; Savor It (Vino Rosso), ridden by Francisco Martinez; Measure (Essential Quality), guided by Manny Franco; and Tap to Open (Tapit), with Flavien Prat aboard.
The Cotillion looms as one of the final premier opportunities of the season for three-year-old fillies to lock horns exclusively among themselves at the highest level.
And for Always a Runner, it represents something even more immediate. She has not crossed the wire first since that unforgettable afternoon in the Kentucky Oaks. Twice she ran into Counting Stars, and twice she finished second. Brown chose not to press on at Saratoga, gave her time, and targeted Parx. Now it only remains to solve the puzzle posed by a new surface: if Always a Runner adapts, she arrives ready to show once again why she already owns a race that defines entire careers.
