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No Catching Society In Cotillion

Taking full advantage of a track that was exceptionally kind to speed throughout the course of the program, Peter Blum's Society (f, 3, Gun Runner–Etiquette, by Tapit) built on a big-figure victory in the GIII Charles Town Oaks when last seen four weeks ago and ran them off their feet for a maiden Grade I victory in Saturday's $1-million Cotillion S. at Parx.

Drawn the outside gate in a field of nine, the homebred was clicked up as soon as the gates flew and crossed and cleared all inside traffic, getting the first couple of furlongs in :23 33 while chased by California raider Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), having her first start since a runner-up effort in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 20, and 'TDN Rising Star' Green Up (Upstart), whose 100 Beyer Speed Figure for her victory in the local Cathryn Sophia S. Aug. 23 matched that earned by Society in West Virginia.

Moving right along down the backstretch while purposely kept far off the inside by Florent Geroux, Society was by the half-mile in :46.75, and with nothing making anything that resembled a serious bid from behind, was well clear after six furlongs in 1:10.93. Morning Matcha (Central Banker), a 45-1 outsider, skimmed the fence and made solid progress into the stretch, but it was all in vain, as she was never catching Society, who romped in by about six lengths. GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate), who was touched out of favoritism by Green Up in the final few clicks, raced outside and in the clear down the backstretch, but was angled down towards the inside with about three furlongs to travel. Hard-ridden into the final quarter-mile, Secret Oath plugged on at one pace for third.

Society debuted for trainer Wayne Mackey at Keeneland last October and pulled clear late to graduate by a length at nearly 28-1, but was transferred this year to Steve Asmussen, who was one of the architects of Gun Runner's career. The chestnut was the 1 3/4-length winner of a sloppy allowance about 50 minutes after Secret Oath won the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks May 6 and added a front-running victory in the June 18 Monomoy Girl S., but stumbled at the start of the CCA Oaks and beat just one home in fourth. She was well-rated on the engine in the Charles Town Oaks by Tyler Gaffalione and had plenty left when the real running started, streaking home to score by 6 3/4 lengths.

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Society becomes already the sixth top-level scorer for Gun Runner and is one of the stallion's two graded winners out of a mare by Tapit, joining GII Adirondack S. victress Wicked Halo. Also bred on the Gun Runner/Tapit cross is SW Red Run, while Tapit's sire Pulpit is the broodmare sire of SW Optionality. Also bred on the cross is Echo Again, who achieved 'TDN Rising Star' status for a maiden romp at Saratoga Aug. 20.

Produced by a half-sister to GSW Pleasant Prince (Indy King) and hailing from the extended female family of Sovereign Award and Queen's Plate winner Holy Helena (Ghostzapper) and Midlantic-based sire Holy Boss (Street Boss), Society has a 2-year-old half-brother named Punctuality in training at Churchill Downs, a yearling half-sister Finesse (Street Sense) that sold to Windancer Farm for $725,0000 at the just-concluded Keeneland September sale and a foal half-brother named Valor (Omaha Beach). Etiquette was put back in foal to Gun Runner this past breeding season.

Saturday, Parx
COTILLION S.-GI, $1,000,000, Parx Racing, 9-24, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:42.94, ft.
1–SOCIETY, 122, f, 3, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Etiquette, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Archduchess, by Pleasant Tap
                3rd Dam: My Marchesa, by Stately Don
   1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Florent Geroux. $564,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-5-0-0, $1,109,775. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
   Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
   Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Morning Matcha, 122, f, 3, by Central Banker
                1st Dam: Home Ice, by Iam the Iceman
                2nd Dam: Hit a Homer Honey, by Kennedy Road
                3rd Dam: Jo Jo Dimaggio, by Dimaggio
   1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($18,000 Ylg '20 EASOCT). O-LC Racing,
Cash is King LLC & Gary Barber; B-Crane Thoroughbred
Services LLC (PA); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. $188,000.
3–Secret Oath, 126, f, 3, by Arrogate
                1st Dam: Absinthe Minded (MSW & MGISP, $607,747), by Quiet American
                2nd Dam: Rockford Peach, by Great Above
                3rd Dam: Strawberry Skyline, by Hatchet Man
O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert & Stacy Mitchell (KY);
T-D. Wayne Lukas. $94,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 2, 6 1/4. Odds: 7.80, 48.90, 2.20.
Also Ran: Green Up, Shahama, Adare Manor, Goddess of Fire, Gerrymander, Beach Daze.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Chub Wagon Named 2021 PA-Bred Horse of the Year

After a season of near perfection that included six stakes wins, Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's homebred Chub Wagon was named 2021 Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year at the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's 43rd annual Iroquois Awards, held May 13 at The Inn at Mendenhall in Chadds Ford, Pa.

The richest state-bred of 2021 when banking $487,400, Chub Wagon scored in eight of her nine starts at age four, and was second in her only loss. After getting her first stakes win in the Unique Bella at Parx in April by 7 1/2 lengths, she followed with wins in the Skipat S. and Shine Again S. at Pimlico, and Dashing Beauty S. at Delaware Park. She rebounded off a second-place finish in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial S. at Parx on Pennsylvania Day At the Races in August to take the Roamin Rachel S. against open company by four lengths two weeks later. She concluded her season in late September by winning the Plum Pretty S. in her first start beyond a mile.

A daughter of Lopez's homebred stallion Hey Chub out of the Lion Heart mare Takin The Plunge, Chub Wagon also took home awards for champion older female and champion female sprinter.

The evening's keynote speaker was Triple Crown-winning jockey Steve Cauthen, now a breeder/owner in Kentucky. The PHBA's Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in breeding in the state was presented to George Strawbridge, Jr., who over the course of the past five decades bred such Pennsylvania-bred standouts at GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tikkanen and five-time Grade I winner With Anticipation.

Other divisional champions were:
• Two-year-old female–Morning Matcha (Central Banker)
• Two-year-old male–Dance Code (Honor Code)
• Three-year-old female–Leader of the Band (Bandbox)
• Three-year-old male and male sprinter–Beren (Weigelia)
• Older male and turf male–The Critical Way (Tizway)
• Turf female–Caravel (Mizzen Mast)

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Magic Circle Breaks Through For First Stakes Score In Busanda

J.W. Singer's Magic Circle got her breakthrough victory in her fourth attempt at stakes level with a commanding gate-to-wire performance in Sunday's $100,000 Busanda for 3-year-old fillies going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The chestnut daughter of Kantharos was a close third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in December at the Big A, displaying the same forwardly-placed tactics before lugging out in deep stretch. Magic Circle never relinquished this time around, maintaining her advantage throughout to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

In capturing the Busanda, Magic Circle earned 10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, pushing her total up to 13 points. She earned two points when third in the Demoiselle and one point when fourth in the Grade 1 Frizette in October at Belmont Park.

Updated Kentucky Oaks and Derby Leaderboard

Piloted by Jose Ortiz, a now three-time Busanda winner, Magic Circle was nudged a few strides out of the gate from her inside post, and led the field through an easy opening quarter-mile in 24.38 seconds over the fast main track. Rosebug kept close company to her outside in second with two-time winner Waters of Merom another half-length back in third.

Positions remained unchanged through a half-mile in 48.28 seconds, but the tempo picked up around the far turn with Morning Matcha launching her usual late move. Ortiz kept Magic Circle to task approaching the quarter pole and into upper stretch as Morning Matcha continued to sweep up ground. But Magic Circle could not be caught, coming under the wire in a final time of 1:51.29.

“She broke really sharp and put me there by herself,” said Ortiz, who also piloted Fierce Boots [2014] and Flora Dora [2016] to Busanda scores. “She was traveling very nicely the first quarter. She was pulling me a little too much. I was a little bit nervous and I just wanted to put my hands down and relax and she finally did passing the seven furlongs. When she entered the backside she was completely relaxed and going a very decent cruising speed. She didn't walk the dog but the track is fast and inside is good, so I wasn't afraid to let her go.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez tasked Ortiz with piloting Magic Circle, who was ridden by Manny Franco in all four of her previous efforts.

“At Belmont, when she finished second, I was hoping that Manny didn't [use the crop] the way he did because she doesn't like the whip too much,” Rodriguez said. “I told him, 'Don't try to surprise her because she ducks in and out.' Jose is one of the top riders in the country and we are happy to get him in the race. Nothing against Manny; I told the owner that if we couldn't get Jose, we would try to get Manny.”

The remaining local qualifiers for the Kentucky Oaks are the one-mile $250,000 Busher Invitational [50-20-10-5] on March 5 and the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle [100-40-20-10] on April 9.

“I'm going to talk to the owner about that and decide what we are going to do,” Rodriguez said. “I don't know. You never know. Right now she's learning, so we just have to hope for the best.”

Returning $4.10 for a $2 win wager, Magic Circle brought her lifetime earnings up to $194,000 and boasts a record of 5-2-1-1.

Morning Matcha maintained her perfect in-the-money record and picked up a third career stakes placing when finishing second. She finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Reigning Chick.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. did not rule out the addition of blinkers for Morning Matcha's next start.

“We'll try it in the mornings with her and see if it perks up her interest early on a little bit and go from there,” Reid, Jr. said.

Reid, Jr. said Morning Matcha will likely target the Gazelle.

“That's a definite possibility because it's not easy finding races long enough for this filly and the Gazelle is a mile and an eighth,” Reid, Jr. said.

Completing the field were Rosebug, Waters of Merom and Gamestonks.

Magic Circle, bred in Kentucky by Manitou Farm, is out of the Distorted Humor mare Magic Humor. She was purchased for $110,000 from the 2021 OBS April Sale, where she was consigned by Costanza Stables.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Morning Matcha, Magic Circle Chasing Oaks Points In Busanda

Stakes-placed Morning Matcha and graded-stakes placed Magic Circle will do battle in pursuit of Kentucky Oaks qualifying points in Sunday's 48th running of the $100,000 Busanda at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The nine-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

With a perfect in-the-money record of 7-2-3-2, Cash is King Racing, LC Racing and Gary Barber's Morning Matcha brags field-best earnings of $247,390.

Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., Morning Matcha returns to the Big A following a late-closing second in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue on Dec. 18. Trailing the field down the backstretch, Morning Matcha kicked into gear with a late rally to finish 1 3/4 lengths shy of the victorious Yo Cuz.

The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Central Banker, New York's leading sire in 2021, broke her maiden going 6 1/2 furlongs at Parx Racing on September 25, only 12 days after earning black type when second in the restricted Finest City at Presque Isle Downs. In her lone start around two turns, Morning Matcha defeated open company by 6 1/4 lengths going one mile at Parx on Nov. 16.

Morning Matcha, who was initially expected to ship to South Florida for the winter, remained in training at Reid, Jr.'s primary division at Parx in preparation for the Busanda.

“The quicker I can get her going longer, the better,” said Reid, Jr. “We've had plenty of time since her last race and she had a nice breeze last week. I think we made the right choice keeping her up here. She's been like that where she doesn't like to overextend too early on. That's why Kendrick [Carmouche] is riding her back, he knows the filly really well.”

Carmouche, who piloted the filly to both of her career wins, retains the mount from post 3 in pursuit of his second Busanda score.

While Morning Matcha attempts to make a good first impression on the Oaks trail, Magic Circle will seek to build on a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Demoiselle on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct, where she earned two Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.

J.W. Singer's Kantharos sophomore chestnut set slow fractions while in command throughout most of the nine-furlong Demoiselle journey before veering out in mid-stretch, ultimately giving way in the final sixteenth.

After a successful career debut at Saratoga at 25-1 odds in September, the Rudy Rodriguez-trained Magic Circle was a distant fourth in the G1 Frizette on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park before finishing a close second in the Tempted one month later.

Magic Circle breezed a half-mile in 51.12 seconds Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

“She worked well Sunday morning,” Rodriguez said. “When you're running against these type of horses, it's tough. She's just a very laid back filly. She lets us do whatever we need with her. She's shown plenty of promise from Day One. She's coming into the race well. We just have to hope for the best.”

Jose Ortiz, a two-time Busanda winner, will pick up the mount from the inside post.

After a collaborative triumph with The Grass Is Blue in 2021, trainer Chad Brown and owner Louis Lazzinnaro will vie to become the first trainer-owner combo to score back-to-back Busanda wins with Waters of Merom.

The daughter of Connect, who also is owned by FIN Stables, was claimed for $30,000 out of a two-turn maiden claimer in October at Keeneland, which she won by 8 1/2 lengths. She made a winning debut for her new connections on Jan. 6 at Aqueduct, traveling a one-turn mile at the starter allowance optional claiming level.

Dylan Davis returns to the irons from post 2.

Hall of Famer Bill Mott seeks a third Busanda score with Mike G. Rutherford homebred Rosebug. The daughter of American Pharoah found the winner's circle at fourth asking over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track on Dec. 30.

Rosebug is out of multiple stakes-winning Menifee mare Taittinger Rose, who was fourth in the 2004 Busanda before winning the Pennsylvania Oaks later that year. Rosebug's fourth dam is 1985 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Twilight Ridge.

Manny Franco will attempt to win his third Busanda in the past four runnings when guiding Rosebug from the outermost post 6.

Completing the field are Gamestonks [post 4, Trevor McCarthy] and Reigning Chick [post 5, Jalon Samuel].

The Busanda honors Ogden Phipps' 1950 Alabama winner, whose name is an anacronym for the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts (BuSandA) – a Navy bureau that Phipps had served in during World War II. As a broodmare, Busanda, a daughter of War Admiral and maternal granddaughter of the influential broodmare La Troienne, produced Hall of Famer and prestigious sire Buckpasser and was also the great granddam of 1984 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Outstandingly.

The Busanda is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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