Clicquot made a splash in her grade 1 debut, defeating three of the division's top 3-year-old fillies to take the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 20 at Parx Racing.
Ironically, not one of the grade 1 winners in the field—Good Cheer, Scottish Lassie, and La Cara—would be a part of the dramatic three-way photo finish at the wire. But Clicquot, overlooked at 5-1 on the odds board in the presence of her more-accomplished rivals, hit the line just ahead of 7-1 Dry Powder and 42-1 Ourdaydreaminggirl.
"It's easy to say it now, but for her to come and beat these fillies, a relatively lightly raced filly, I thought it was quite an accomplishment from her," said trainer Brendan Walsh of Clicquot.
Clicquot's Cotillion victory marked the next step on the ladder of steady improvement the filly had conveyed over the last five months. When Cotillion fifth-place finisher La Cara won the Ashland Stakes (G1) during the Keeneland spring meet, the late-blooming Clicquot was just getting started for Walsh, breaking her maiden by six lengths April 17. The future was only bright from there for the daughter of Quality Road , who successfully navigated the stretch out to two turns with back-to-back wins in a Churchill Downs first-level allowance optional claimer and the Indiana Oaks (G3).
"We had the plan the whole time along to go here if she won at Indiana and give her a chance," Walsh said. "She's been working unbelievably well. Like a top-class horse does. You can see by her demeanor she's just all class. I can't say enough about her. She makes our job easy."
When the gates opened for the Cotillion, all eyes were on Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Good Cheer and Scottish Lassie, a dominating 15-length winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1). It was the fleet-footed La Cara asserting authority early, with Cathryn Sophia Stakes winner Dry Powder hot on her heels. Clicquot, racing in fifth early, was bubbling just below the cork for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., tugging eagerly while in between horses.
Following a moderate early tempo of :23.73 and :47.38, the field began to shift passing the three-furlong marker. Dry Powder had begun to edge clear of La Cara, Scottish Lassie was ramping up from her position near the back of the field, and Good Cheer was uncharacteristically unresponsive under jockey Luis Saez. Seizing the advantage when daylight opened before them rounding the far turn, Ortiz pushed forward with Clicquot, who uncorked a smart rally down the center of the track.
Hooking the stubborn pacesetters in midstretch, Clicquot battled gamely to the wire, prevailing by a neck over Dry Powder.
"To run in this race against three grade 1 winners and an up-and-coming Clicquot, you couldn't ask for a better race than that," trainer Chad Summers said of Dry Powder. "She's come close in some of these stakes races. We won the Cathryn Sophia, but we just have to get to work a little bit. I don't think we've seen the best of her yet."
Ourdaydreaminggirl, the longest shot on the board, closed from last to fall a head short of catching Dry Powder for second.
Post-time favorite Scottish Lassie was fourth, La Cara was fifth, and Good Cheer was sixth.
Notching her fourth straight win for owners X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing, Clicquot ($12.60) stopped the clock in 1:42.85 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track. With Clicquot's triumph, Sol Kumin of Madaket registered his landmark 100th grade 1 win as an owner.
READ: Kumin on Verge of Achieving 100 Grade 1 Victories
Clicquot was bred by Don Alberto Corp., who purchased her dam, the graded stakes-placed Tapit mare Royal Obsession, for $1.8 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The gray or roan filly Clicquot became Lane's End stallion Quality Road's second grade 1 winner this year following Hope Road's success last month in the Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
