After shortening up in her previous start, Pretty Mischievous will stretch back out to two turns for the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) against other 3-year-old fillies Sept. 23 at Parx Racing.
That previous effort by Godolphin homebred Pretty Mischievous was the seven-furlong Test Stakes (G1), which unfortunately will be remembered as the race in which Maple Leaf Mel suffered a catastrophic breakdown as she approached the finish line in front.
Pretty Mischievous would win the Test at Saratoga Race Course in her shortest race since October 2022, but because of the circumstances there would be no celebration. Brendan Walsh, trainer of Pretty Mischievous, gifted the Test winner's wreath of carnations to Maple Leaf Mel's trainer, Melanie Giddings.
In terms of Pretty Mischievous, Walsh was glad to see the consistent daughter of Into Mischief deliver another strong effort in the Test, which followed her victories in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs and 1 1/16-mile Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. She'll return to two-turn racing Saturday in the Cotillion, which has drawn nine entries.
"This is what she seems to be best suited for," Walsh said. "We tried her sprinting last time and she ran very well in the Test—was finishing very strong. We tried it and I think it was worth taking a shot, but now she's back to where we know that she really excels.
"She's been doing really well. So we look forward to Saturday."
Challengers
The field's other grade 1 winner is Katsumi Yoshida's Defining Purpose, who delivered a 20-1 upset in the Ashland Stakes (G1) April 7 at Keeneland. She earned another grade 1 placing in her most recent start when third in the Alabama Stakes (G1) Aug. 19 at Saratoga. The daughter of Cross Traffic will cut back from 1 1/4 miles in the Alabama to 1 1/16 miles—the same distance as the Indiana Oaks (G3) that she captured July 8 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
"She still has a chance for making a case to be one of the best 3-year-old fillies," trainer Kenny McPeek said. "This is the chance to do that. And she deserves that."
The field features three accomplished daughters of Into Mischief. Besides Pretty Mischievous, graded stakes winners Occult and Hoosier Philly are also scheduled to start. Alpha Delta Stables' Occult, who is trained by Chad Brown, finished third to Pretty Mischievous in the Acorn but will enter off an impressive effort as she rallied from seventh and drew off to a 10 1/4-length score in the Monmouth Oaks (G3) July 29. Gold Standard Racing Stable's Hoosier Philly will look to bounce back from an off-the-board finish in the Charles Town Oaks (G3), but she boasts two stakes wins including last year's Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill. The Cotillion would be her grade 1 debut.
Pine Brook Farm's Foggy Night took the local path to Saturday's test, as the Florida-bred daughter of Khozan won the Cathryn Sophia Stakes Aug. 22 at Parx for trainer Robert Reid Jr.
Parx Racing, Saturday, September 23, 2023, Race 12Entries: Cotillion S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Foggy Night (FL) Florent Geroux 124 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 12/1 2 2Ceiling Crusher (CA) Edwin A. Maldonado 124 Doug F. O'Neill 5/1 3 3Pretty Mischievous (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 126 Brendan P. Walsh 2/1 4 4Hoosier Philly (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Thomas M. Amoss 6/1 5 5Occult (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Chad C. Brown 6/1 6 6Just Katherine (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 Jose M. Jimenez 12/1 7 7Defining Purpose (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 126 Kenneth G. McPeek 4/1 8 8Imonra (KY) Tyler Conner 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 10/1 9 9Majestic Creed (KY) Mychel J. Sanchez 120 Bobbi Anne Hawthorne 30/1
