As the three-year-old fillies’ equivalent of the Pennsylvania Derby, the $1,000,000 Grade I Cotillion Stakes over 1,700m at Parx northeast of Philadelphia on Saturday, September 20 attracts some classy females. Taking each other on again are three of the first five home in the Acorn Stakes earlier in the summer.
On that occasion, La Cara went from gate to wire without seeing a rival at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival schedule of events. Mark Casse’s frontrunning daughter of Street Sense splashed through sloppy conditions at the Spa on June 6 for an impressive three-length success over Look Forward.
Back in third was Scottish Lassie, who has since romped to a 15-length demolition of a small field in the Coaching Club American Oaks. Crossing the wire in fifth was Godolphin’s Good Cheer, who didn’t fire as a red-hot favorite. Brad Cox has since seen his Medaglia d’Oro filly bounce back with a placed effort in the Alabama Stakes.
Each of these three females who contested the Acorn Stakes, and that now run in the Cotillion Stakes, know what it takes to land a Grade I. La Cara also has the Ashland Stakes around Keeneland over this distance on her resume. Good Cheer took the Kentucky Oaks in style at Churchill Downs. Scottish Lassie destroyed the competition at the highest level last time too.
In consequence, all three top fillies carry the maximum 6lb penalty under the terms of this race. Going back down in distance should help a frontrunner like La Cara with her tactics, especially as it didn’t work in the Alabama and she faded into fourth. With 300m shorter to race, Casse could see her to better effect in Pennsylvania now.
Cotillion Stakes Distance Key to Understanding Race
Dropping Good Cheer makes less sense after she ran so well in the Alabama. She’s a three-time Grade II winner over this sharper distance, but those victories came en route to Kentucky Oaks glory at the end of her juvenile campaign and towards the start of this season. Stamina may have its part to play, however, especially if there’s a strong pace set by La Cara on the frontend.
Scottish Lassie should find going back in distance just fine. Jorge Abreu’s filly by McKinzie routed the field in the Frizette Stakes as a juvenile at Aqueduct and she made most of the running in the Coach Club American Oaks last time. What La Cara and Scottish Lassie must be careful of in the Cotillion Stakes is cutting each other’s throats and setting it up for a deep closer.
There are some new rivals for the big three to worry about as well. Although all the leading Belmont Stakes betting sites suggest the trio carrying topweight have it between them here with Scottish Lassie favored most on the Morning Line, a few others in the eight-strong field will feel they can cause an upset. Chief among them is well-treated Grade II winner Indy Bay.
Unexposed beyond 1,400m, Saffie Joseph’s daughter of Take Charge Indy gets in off bottom weight here. With no penalty for her Charles Towns Oaks triumph where the further she went, the better she looked, the 6lb Indy Bay receives from the big guns is a huge help.
Indiana Oaks heroine Clicquot has a 4lb penalty for that Grade III victory, meanwhile, but is another on the up. Dry Powder was no match for Scottish Lassie on her penultimate start, but won over course and distance in Listed company since, so knows this track.
Cotillion Stakes 2025 Post Positions Draw & Morning Line Odds
- Scottish Lassie (126lbs) – 9-5 fav
- La Cara (126lbs) – 7-2
- Clicquot (124lbs) – 8-1
- Indy Bay (120lbs) – 8-1
- Not Too Late (122lbs) – 30-1
- Ourdaydreaminggirl (122lbs) – 20-1
- Good Cheer (126lbs) – 5-2
- Dry Powder (122lbs) – 10-1
Our Handicapper’s Verdict
It’s hard not to be impressed by any horse winning a Grade I by 15 lengths, so there’s no question about Scottish Lassie as favorite. Making all over 1,700m is easier on La Cara than previous assignments over further, but the value play at these weights is Indy Bay as she receives it all from the field and could at least make the show.
She’s somehow let in light here and connections look as though they’re exploiting a loophole in the T&Cs of the race. Good Cheer doesn’t look as though she’s crying out to go back down in distance, whereas Indy Bay could well get this extended mile off such favorable terms. The others have it all to do under penalties or at the weights.
WATCH: La Cara Beat Scottish Lassie & Good Cheer in Acorn Stakes
