Gold Standard Racing Stable's Hoosier Philly settled into her temporary home on Parx Racing's backside Wednesday with the hope of a clean trip and her first Grade 1 victory in Saturday's $1 million Cotillion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The Tom Amoss-trainee will make her ninth start and enters off a disappointing eighth in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks August 26. The winner of four starts was expected make her first Grade 1 start in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course July 22, but a foot abscess found the morning of the race kept her sidelined that afternoon.
“She's coming off a poor performance, but it's a race where she really got beat up out of the gate,” Amoss said. “I knew from the gate when we didn't get into good position that we were in trouble. To me, that race is a throw out. She's trained well since.
“I've been watching the forecasters and there's a lot of rain expected, but it's going to be the same for everybody. It won't hurt her. I think she'll be fine as she goes.”
The seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks was the shortest distance the daughter of Into Mischief has tried since winning her debut at 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs. That victory launched a perfect 2-year-old campaign at her Kentucky base where she added a 7 1/2-length win in the Rags to Riches Stakes before adding the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes to her resume.
The Kentucky-bred returned fresh for her sophomore season and faced foes in three straight Grade 2 stakes before a third in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds then a fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks before finishing as the runner-up in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico. It was the first time in her career that she failed to be sent to the gate as the post-time favorite.
Amoss used the 2019 Cotillion as a prep for his multiple Grade 1-winning filly Serengeti Empress, who finished a disappointing sixth in the race before shipping to Santa Anita to finish third in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.
The Cotillion is a race that Amoss and his team are happy to point to before looking to a possible start in this year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.
“We're looking forward to the challenge,” said Amoss. “It's a great race. It's a one-of-a-kind race. A $1-million race for 3-year-old fillies where, if you think you have a really good horse, it's a can't miss. You'd have to take your shot.”
Hoosier Philly, the 6-1 co-fourth choice in the morning-line will have Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez in the saddle for the first time replacing regular rider Edgar Morales.
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