Pennsylvania Derby, Cotillion Stakes draw classy fields

A field of 10, led by Grade 2 Jim Dandy runner-up Baeza, is set to line up Saturday for the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt at Parx.

Baeza was named the 2-1 morning-line favorite. The third-place finisher in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont, Baeza steps outside the shadows of Sovereignty and Journalism for the first time since he was a maiden. Hector Berrios, who rode Baeza in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Jim Dandy (G2), takes the return call for trainer John Shirreffs.

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“There looks like there is going to be a lot of speed in the race, so you would hope he gets a nice position somewhere close, not too far back,” Shirreffs said to the Parx media office. “I think Parx has a little bit of a speed bias and you don’t want to be too far back. From all his experience this summer, he is pretty good at getting dirt in his face and being in between horses. … I’m not too concerned about that. I just hope he breaks well and gets a good position.”

Baeza is not the only one from top 3-year-old races earlier in the season who is stepping out of those shadows. Gosger, second behind Journalism in the Preakness and the Haskell (G1), is the 4-1 third choice on the morning line as he makes his first start since the Haskell. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Gosger will be ridden by his regular jockey Luis Saez.

“There are some nice horses in there, but I wouldn’t swap him for anybody,” Walsh said. “We looked at the Travers but realistically his best chance of winning a Grade 1 this year was going to be against his own age group in this race. We did think about it, but like I said we’ve given him time all year between starts and this one seemed to fit his profile a bit better.”

Goal Oriented, fourth in the Preakness and third in the Haskell, is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line for trainer Bob Baffert. Irad Ortiz rides Goal Oriented for the first time in the Pennsylvania Derby.

Magnitude, a distant third behind Sovereignty in the Travers last out, is 6-1 on the morning line for his attempt to rebound in the Pennsylvania Derby. He is trained by Steve Asmussen, and Ben Curtis returns to the irons. He will likely be joined in the front ranks by Mo Plex, who makes his first start since tiring to fourth behind Sovereignty in the Jim Dandy. 12-1 on the morning line, Mo Plex is trained by Jeremiah Englehart. Joseph Ramos, who rode Mo Plex to victory in the Ohio Derby (G3) two starts back, returns to the saddle.

Englehart made no secret of where he hopes Mo Plex will be placed in the Pennsylvania Derby. “Just let him run his race. Joe (Ramos) knows that we want to let him go out and run his race. I want him to be forwardly placed. I want him to able to run free. Whether he is on the lead or not, that won’t matter. Just let him do his thing.”

Big Truzz (10-1), trained by Brian Lynch, steps up in class after a seven-length romp in the Ellis Park Derby. He is Grade 1-placed at one turn, third behind Patch Adams in the Woody Stephens (G1), but was well beaten in the Indiana Derby (G3), his only graded attempt so far at two turns. Javier Castellano takes the reins for the first time.

David of Athens (12-1), like Gosger trained by Brendan Walsh, makes his graded-stakes debut. A winner of two of his three starts, his maiden and allowance wins came with jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard. Gaffalione reunites with David of Athens on Saturday.

So Sandy (15-1), from the barn of Cherie DeVaux, makes his graded-stakes debut as well. He followed up a maiden win at Horseshoe Indianapolis and an allowance win at Churchill Downs with a head defeat behind Chancer McPatrick in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga, his first attempt in stakes company. Kendrick Carmouche rides for the first time.

Happily Delusional (30-1), trained by Louis Linder, is the only Parx local in the field. He has won only one of his 11 starts, a maiden special weight at Parx in January, but has been second five times. Paco Lopez, who rode him to a fourth-place finish in the local Smarty Jones, rides again.

Altobelli (50-1), a four-time winner in 14 starts, hails from the barn of James Nicholson Jr. His most recent win came in a starter allowance at Turfway in March, but he has been well beaten in five starts since. Angel Castillo has the mount.

Horse Racing Nation speed figures are in parentheses.

The $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) Saturday at Parx features a trio of the best-proven runners in the division: Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) winner Scottish Lassie, Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer and Acorn (G1) winner La Cara. The race covers 1 1/16 miles on the dirt and drew eight fillies.

The 9-5 morning-line favorite for the Cotillion is Scottish Lassie, who makes her first start since a 15 1/2-length romp in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The Jorge Abreu trainee has won only twice in six starts but has made those wins count. She broke her maiden with a nine-length blowout in the Frizette (G1) last October. Joel Rosario, her rider in the Coaching Club American Oaks, takes the return call.

“I don’t like the one (post), but I will let (jockey Joel) Rosario ride his race,” Abreu said. “Hopefully we will get a clean break and a good position. That’s it. We are going to leave it up to God, Rosario and luck. On paper, it looks like Chad Summers’ horse (Dry Powder) will be on the lead. La Cara will be on the lead. I don’t have to tell Joel anything. She does not have to be on the lead. She could be forwardly placed; she can target horses. I feel comfortable going into the race.”

Good Cheer, a winner of seven of nine career starts, is the 5-2 second choice in the Cotillion. She won her first seven starts, including the Kentucky Oaks, but was a well-beaten fifth behind La Cara in the Acorn (G1) over sloppy Saratoga going in June. The Brad Cox trainee was a gaining second behind Nitrogen in the Alabama (G1) last out. Luis Saez, who has ridden her in all but her career debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis last year, returns to the irons.

La Cara will try to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in the Alabama last out, where she was beaten 14 lengths by Nitrogen. Two starts back she won the Acorn by three lengths, and she also won the Ashland (G1) earlier this year at Keeneland. La Cara is trained by Mark Casse, and her regular rider Dylan Davis will partner with her again.

“We got the two (post) but the good news is the other one (Scottish Lassie) got the one,” Casse said. “We are going to go to the lead; those will be my instructions (to jockey Dylan Davis). I don’t know what the other filly (Scottish Lassie) will do who is inside of us. It could get very interesting early. (La Cara) likes to be on the lead and we are not going to take that away from her.”

Clicquot, who won her graded-stakes debut in the Indiana Derby (G3), steps up to the top level for the first time in the Cotillion. The Brendan Walsh trainee, who has won three of her four career starts, is 8-1 on the morning line. Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Clicquot to her maiden win at Keeneland and her allowance score at Churchill Downs, gets back in the saddle.

Indy Bay, whose maiden win at Gulfstream last March was Clicquot's only loss to date, is also 8-1 on the morning line. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., she comes out of a victory in the Charles Town Oaks (G3), her first graded-stakes win in her second try at the level. Tyler Gaffalione rides her for the first time.

Two runners come out of races over the local course, Dry Powder (10-1) and Ourdaydreaminggirl (20-1), who formed the exacta in the Cathryn Sophia Stakes, the local prep for the Cotillion on Aug. 19. Dry Powder, the 4 1/4-length winner, is trained by Chad Summers and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who takes the reins on her for the first time. Ourdaydreaminggirl, from the barn of Louis Linder Jr., keeps jockey Eliseo Ruiz for her graded-stakes debut.

Not Too Late (30-1), trained by Uriah St. Lewis, rounds out the Cotillion field. She has three wins in 15 starts, most recently in the Maryfield Stakes at Monmouth in June, but will have to bounce back from a fifth-place finish behind Indy Bay in the Charles Town Oaks. Sonny Leon, who rode her to that win in the Maryfield, reunites with her.

Horse Racing Nation speed figures are in parentheses.