Clairiere Gets First Grade 1 Win In Cotillion At Parx

Facing a loaded field of 3-year-old fillies, lacking only division leader Malathaat, Clairiere went wide around the far turn and dug in through the stretch to win the Grade 1 Cotillion by two lengths at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn.

Breaking from post six under Ricardo Santana, Jr., Clairiere settled in sixth around the first turn behind Always Carina on the lead and Obligatory and Maracuja rounding out the top three. Into the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion, Clairiere made up ground on the outside of horses, going three-wide into the stretch with Obligatory, Always Carina, and Maracuja to her inside.

Down the Parx straight, Army Wife loomed up between horses to Clairiere's inside, but none of them had enough to get by the Steve Asmussen filly. Clairiere dug in, taking the lead in late stretch to win, with Obligatory, Army Wife, and Maracuja completing the top four.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.1. Find this race's chart here.

Clairiere paid $7.20, $3,60, and $2.60. Obligatory paid $4.20 and $3.00. Army Wife paid $2.80.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Stonestreet Stables, Clairiere is by Curlin out of the Bernardini mare Cavorting. The G1 Cotillion is her second win in seven starts in 2021 and her first Grade 1, for a lifetime record of three wins in eight starts and career earnings of $1,190,992.

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Racing ‘Rookie’ Speaker’s Corner Ready To Step Up In Pennsylvania Derby

The rookie of the Pennsylvania Derby, experience wise, is Godolphin Racing's Speaker's Corner.

When the son of Street Sense enters the starting gate for the Grade 1, $1 million race, it will be just the fourth start for Speaker's Corner and second this year. All of the eight other runners have more race day experience.

Of the other Derby runners, two of them – I Am Redeemed and Americanrevolution – will be making the Pennsylvania Derby their fifth career start.

The lack of seasoning might be cause for concern to those who like Speaker's Corner, but that anxiety should dissipate when you see who is training him. Hall of Famer Bill Mott is not sending Speaker's Corner to Parx because he wants to load up on Philly Cheese Steaks.

Speaker's Corner's highly anticipated return to the races came Aug. 14 at Saratoga in an allowance, a seven-furlong race he won easily by 5 ¼ lengths.

“It was everything we expected and a little bit more,” Mott said. “I was happy with it, for sure. I wasn't sure if the seven-eighths would be enough ground for him. I thought they would run him off his feet a little bit early in the race.”

That didn't happen. The talent the colt showed as a 2-year-old was still there despite a long layoff. He broke his maiden in his second start last October at Belmont and some of the horses he beat that day included Caddo River, Greatest Honour, Miles D and Pennsylvania Derby rival Bourbonic.

After that, an ankle injury put him on the equine disabled list for a while and a spring-time virus that went through Mott's barn delayed his return even longer.

It was worth the wait. Mott is asking him to take a gigantic step forward as he tries graded stakes company for the first time.

“We have always felt we belonged with this group,” Mott said. “We have the one race under our belt and it's working out well.”

Speaker's Corner, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, is 12-1 on the Derby morning line.

Mott will also saddle Juddmonte's Obligatory in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin finished fifth in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga in her last start on Aug. 7.

“The big thing about her is that it is a two-turn test,” Mott said about the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion.

“We know she's quite effective at seven-eighths and a flat mile at one turn. This is a bit of a fact-finding mission for us to figure out if the configuration of the race is going to suit her. We'll see.”

Ortiz also has the mount on Obligatory, who is 10-1 on the Cotillion morning line.

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Weekend Lineup: Parx Takes Center Stage With Five Graded Stakes

Parx will be the focus of many of the nation's racing fans Saturday as the Philadelphia oval hosts five graded stakes races headed by two Grade 1, $1 million races—the Pennsylvania Derby for 3-year-old males and the Cotillion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Both races mark the unofficial end of the graded stakes season for 3-year-olds males and females.

Races in this weekend's rundown are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). Full previews, when available, can be found through the link for each race.

TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from Delaware Park, Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Woodbine and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will be broadcasting live from Belmont Park on Saturday, Sept. 25 on FS2 from 12:30 – 3:30 pm and on SNY from 5:00-6:00 pm. America's Day at the Races returns on Sunday, Sept. 26 on FS2 from 12:30 – 6:00 pm.

Saturday, September 25

2:34 PM ET – $300,000 Kelso Handicap (Grade 2) at Belmont Park FS2

Multiple graded stakes winner and prohibitive favorite Life is Good is hoping to use the Kelso as a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL092521USA4-EQB.html

3:20 PM ET – Greenwood Cup Stakes (Grade 3) at Parx on TVG

Repole Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners Moretti has been installed the 2-1 morning line favorite as he seeks his first win of the year against a field of nine.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRX092521USA8-EQB.html

3:51 PM ET – $300,000 Turf Monster Stakes (Grade 3T) at Parx on TVG

Firecrow is set to return to the races Saturday for the first time since winning the Jim McKay Sprint on Preakness Day at Pimlico.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRX092521USA9-EQB.html

4:22 PM ET – $275,000 Dogwood Stakes (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs

Undefeated 3-year-old filly Carribean Caper will attempt to land her fifth consecutive victory as the likely favorite in the 46th Dogwood Stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD092521USA8-EQB.html

4:22 PM ET – $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (Grade 2) at Parx on TVG

Jackie's Warrior, a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, leads a field of seven following a neck victory over Life is Good in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (Grace 1) at Saratoga.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRX092521USA10-EQB.html

5:02 PM ET – $1,000,000 Cotillion Stakes (Grade 1) at Parx on TVG

Juddmonte Farm's Obligatory will make her third consecutive start in a Grade 1 stakes for Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRX092521USA11-EQB.html

5:34 PM ET – $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (Grade 3) at Woodbine on TVG

Multiple stakes winner and seven-time Sovereign Award recipient Pink Lloyd looks to add to his illustrious career with a win in the Bold Venture. The 9-year-old Pink Lloyd was Canada's 2017 Horse of the Year.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO092521CAN9-EQB.html

5:49 PM ET – $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby (Grade 1) at Parx on TVG

Hot Rod Charlie, third in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and second in the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets before being disqualified from first to last in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes, headlines the field of nine 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main track, after the scratch of morning line favorite Medina Spirit. Other leading contenders include Midnight Bourbon, Keepmeinmind, Bourbonic and Americanrevolution.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRX092521USA12-EQB.html

5:58 PM ET – $200,000 Athenia (Grade 3T) at Belmont Park on SNY

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle Pocket Square and Miss Teheran in the Athenia Stakes, a nine-furlong turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Brown has won four of the last five runnings of the Athenia.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL092521USA10-EQB.html

Sunday, Sept. 26

5:16 PM ET – $250,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (Grade 2) at Belmont Park on FS2

Following a triumph in the Longines Test Stakes (Grade 1) at Saratoga, Bella Sofia will face older fillies and mares at stakes level for the first time in the Gallant Bloom.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL092621USA9-EQB.html

7:33 PM ET – $200,000 Remington Park Oaks (Grade 3) at Remington Park on TVG

Pauline's Pearl is the morning line favorite in the 1-1/16 mile Remington Park Oaks (G3) on the main track for trainer Steve Asmussen and will face six rivals, including Lovely Ride, Amendment Nineteen and Lady Mystify. Pauline's Pearl, who won the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes in April, finished second in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks in her most recent start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RP092621USA8-EQB.html

9:11 PM ET – $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (Grade 3) at Remington Park on TVG

Texas Derby winner Warrant is the morning line favorite in the 1-1/8 mile main track contest for 3-year-olds. The Brad Cox-trained Warrant finished second last out in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby to fellow Oklahoma Derby (G3) entrant Mr. Wireless. Super Stock and Team Merchants are also expected to line up in the eight-horse field.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RP092621USA11-EQB.html

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TVG To Broadcast Pennsylvania Derby Card Live From Parx This Saturday

Top sophomores Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon will face off on Saturday in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) from Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn. and TVG will be broadcasting live throughout the thirteen-race card which includes eight total stakes races.

TVG's Rich Perloff will be trackside with exclusive interviews, analysis and handicapping selections throughout the card. In addition to the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1), the card will also feature some of the top three-year-old fillies in the country in the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1).

It was announced on Tuesday that Medina Spirit, the 2-1 morning line favorite, would be a scratch out of the race leaving a field of nine. Hot Rod Charlie, disqualified from his first-place finish in the TVG Haskell (G1) and placed seventh for interference in the stretch, will be trying to earn his second stakes win of the year for trainer Doug O'Neill. The bay son of Oxbow was third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and second in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and will have Flavien Prat aboard. Midnight Bourbon, second in the Travers Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) for trainer Steve Asmussen, will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

The $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) drew a field of nine and is expected to go to post with eight contenders with the scratch of Private Mission. Clairiere, a homebred for Stonestreet Stables, is the 2-1 morning line favorite for Steve Asmussen. Ricardo Santana, Jr. will be aboard the daughter of Curlin who was last seen finishing second in the Alabama Stakes (G1).

The undercard will also feature multiple Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior as he faces six rivals in the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (G2). Trained by Steve Asmussen, the bay colt was last seen winning the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga by a neck. Regular rider Joel Rosario will retain the mount.

Three-year-olds will also take center stage at Remington Park on Sunday and TVG's Dave Weaver will be reporting live from the track featuring a twelve-race card anchored by the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3). The field of eight includes Warrant, the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Brad Cox. Bred and owned by Twin Creeks Farm, the son of Constitution won the Texas Derby in May and was second in the West Virginia Derby (G3). Joel Rosario has the mount.

In addition to racing from the Parx Racing and Remington Park, TVG will also be featuring Los Alamitos, Gulfstream Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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