California shipper Ceiling Crusher spurted first from the gate, made all the pace, and repelled hard-trying favorite Pretty Mischievous to win the $1-million Cotillion (G1) by a half length Saturday at Parx Racing.
The daughter of Mr. Big entered off a six-length victory Torrey Pines (G3) Sept. 2 at Del Mar and showed her mettle at the elite level for the first time for trainer Doug O'Neill as she completed the Cotillion's 1 1/6 miles in 1:45.69 on a sloppy (sealed) track. She made all the early fractions: :23.31 for the opening quarter mile :47.64 for a half mile, 1:112.98 for six furlongs, and 1:39.16 for one mile.
Ridden by Edwin Maldanado in the Cotillion, Ceiling Crusher has won five of six starts this year while boosting her lifetime earnings to $938,400 with the Cotillion's $564,000 winner's share. She won her only start last year, a maiden special weight event June 3 at Santa Anita.
Sent off at 3-1 odds in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies, Ceiling Crusher returned $8.60 for the win.
Pretty Mischievous, who steadily advanced into contention after settling off the early pace in sixth, was 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Occult.
Campaigned by Wonderland Racing Stables LLC, Ceiling Crusher was bred by Harris Farms. Her dam is the Indian Charlie mare Palisadesprincess.
Cotillion Quotes:
Winning trainer Doug O'Neill: “She brought everything that she was showing us back home on the road. You never know. We had the great Lava Man, who did so many wonderful things in the state of California but could never take it outside of California. You never know until you pack your bags and they have to stay in a hotel room and be away from home. She handled everything perfectly. Edwin has gotten to know her. She has no accelerator stuck to her at all. She is not a run-off. Being in the two-hole, he did not want to get caught up in a lot of traffic. He rode her away from there and I just thank God no one else went on a suicide mission to stop her. She has that high-cruising speed and she carried it all the way to the wire. She does not have a huge turn of foot. She has a high cruising speed, a grinder, a lot of heart. He used all that to a T.
Breeders' Cup Distaff next? “She is not nominated. It will be up to the guys and gals, if they want to write a big check. This was our Breeders' Cup. We looked at this on the calendar months ago and the fact that is coming true … this was our Breeders' Cup today.
Not getting to the bottom of her: “I wonder. We'll have to talk to Edwin about that. It looked like it was pretty close to the bottom to me late there. She is a wonderful filly and she has so much determination and so much of a will to win. I don't know how far she'll go but we know she will go a mile and a sixteenth on a sloppy track at Parx. That is all that matters. And it's a Grade 1!”
Case for top 3-year-old filly? “If I am voting, yeah. The filly that she beat (Pretty Mischievous) …. these kind of fillies make you want to jump out of bed and get to the barn. It's so hard to find horses like her.”
Concern leaving California for the first time: “It's always a concern and the weather was a big concern. Credit to Parx management. I even thought early this morning, 'are we still going to run?' They put on a wonderful card and were able to handle all that Mother Nature threw at them. A great day. I don't know when she is going home, but we are heading to the bar. We are going to celebrate her victory and celebrate life and cherish this moment.”
Compare it to winning the 2021 Pennsylvania Derby with Hot Rod Charlie: “They are all individual, right? Any horse you work alongside, when they throw a big effort in, you are so grateful.”
Winning jockey Edwin Maldonado: “The question was if she could handle (the 1 1/16 miles). We just let her kick on and do her thing. She's been running short and taking the lead sprinting, so I just needed a good break and we got a good break. The rest was her. I don't like any horses getting close to her. By the time they came at her at the three-eighths pole, I just went.”
When did you know you had it won? “When I turned for home. When I hit the eighth pole, I'm thinking, 'OK, she's got a good chance.' I'm very happy. These are good owners and I'm very thankful I got the opportunity to win for these guys.”
On a potential start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park: “That would feel great. It's our hometown.”
Trainer Brendan Walsh (Pretty Mischievous, second): “A little disappointed in that she maybe didn't handle the track great initially. Tyler said as soon as she switched her leads down the back he kind of felt her way back into the race. But you know, Doug's filly got the jump on us and she was gone. That's the way it goes I'm afraid. Listen, if she can at all make her run she always makes her run. She always gives it 110 percent. Anytime she has been beaten she hasn't been beaten far. You can't be disappointed in her, we're just a little disappointed in the circumstances. Hats off to Doug's filly, too. She took her opportunity and she won the race. I'm not taking anything away from her.”
What could be next for Pretty Mischievous? “We'll see how she comes out of this and we'll chat and come up with a plan. We weren't really looking beyond today to be honest. We'll see what happens. As always, we're very proud of her. She'll be back.”
Jockey Tyler Gafflione (Pretty Mischievous, second): “She was kind of resenting the track for the first quarter of a mile, but once she switched leads down the backside she was in a little better position. The winner just had the jump on us today.”
On positioning down on inside: “There was plenty of room there, that wasn't an issue. More than anything, I just think she didn't like the track. Breaking on the inside it took us awhile to get better speed and force our way out and make some room to make the run. The weather though, man, of all the days.”
The post ‘This Was Our Breeders’ Cup’: Ceiling Crusher Powers Gate To Wire In Cotillion appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
