Lexington Herald Leader Logo

Pair of $1 million races pit top 3-year-olds | Lexington Herald Leader

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • All News
    • Business
    • Communities
    • Counties
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Lexington
    • Local
    • Most Wanted
    • Nation/World
    • News Photos
    • News Videos
    • Politics
    • Searchable Databases
    • State
    • Watchdog
    • Columns
    • Tom Eblen
    • All Sports
    • UK Sports
    • College Sports
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • High School
    • Horses
    • Kentucky Speedway
    • Lexington Legends
    • Reds
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NASCAR
    • NFL
    • Sports Photos
    • Sports Videos
    • Columns
    • John Clay's Columns
    • Mark Story
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • All UK Sports
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • Baseball
    • Basketball - Men
    • Basketball - Women
    • Recruiting
    • Ex-Cats
    • Football
    • UK Photos
    • UK Videos
    • More UK Sports
    • Columns
    • John Clay's Blog
    • Mark Story
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Entertainment
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Restaurants
    • Stage & Dance
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Entertainment Photos
    • Entertainment Videos
    • News Blogs
    • Kentucky Weather
    • Photo Archive
    • Sports Blogs
    • John Clay's Blog
    • High School
    • UK Football
    • UK Men's Basketball
    • UK Women's Basketball
    • Lexington Legends
    • Entertainment Blogs
    • Walter Tunis on Music
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Joel Pett
    • Letters to the Editor
    • National Columnists
    • Op-Ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • All Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Fru-Gal: Deb Morris
    • Health & Medicine
    • Home & Garden
    • Paul Prather
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Readers' Choice
    • Kentucky Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Customer Service
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • E-edition
    • Page Reprints
    • Photo Reprints
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Site Information
    • Advertise With Us
    • Archives
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Google+
    • Today's Circulars
    • Classifieds
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Homeseller
    • Legal Notices
  • Place an Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Horses

Pair of $1 million races pit top 3-year-olds

By Alicia Wincze Hughes - awincze@herald-leader.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 21, 2012 02:58 PM

Considering you can count on one hand the number of 3-year-old filly races in this country offering a $1 million purse, it seems shocking that Saturday's Grade I Cotillion Stakes has only four entrants.

Given that two of the four are the current division leader and an undefeated champion, those who chose not to subject their charges to these monsters could be forgiven.

What it lacks in size, the 11⁄16-mile Cotillion makes up for in brilliance. Multiple Grade I winner Questing and reigning 2-year-old filly champion My Miss Aurelia are slated to knock heads for the first time during what stands to be a salty day of action at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa.

Along with the Cotillion, Parx will feature a rematch between co-Travers Stakes victors Alpha and Golden Ticket in the Grade II, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. Also, Grade I winner Currency Swap faces the talented Trinniberg in the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and owned by Godolphin Racing — the same connections behind Alpha — the freakish Questing has taken the sophomore filly ranks by the throat, winning both the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks and Grade I Alabama Stakes by a combined 131/4 lengths in her last two starts.

After being sidelined with shin problems following her win in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, My Miss Aurelia overcame a poor start and won her first start in nine months for Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton when she took the Mandy's Gold Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 8.

Just as one of the two is expected to be in front at the wire, the duo are also likely to work one another over on the front end. What weighs heaviest on McLaughlin's mind, however, are the 7 more pounds his filly will have to carry over her rival.

"We've proved we can go fast and keep going but ... it's going to be interesting how it unfolds," McLaughlin said. "We have to respect (My Miss Aurelia) and we're giving her 7 pounds so it's going to be interesting the first half of the race. Hopefully we're in front and not going too fast."

After producing the first dead heat in the Grade I Travers since 1874, Alpha and Golden Ticket will have to shake off six other challengers in the 11⁄8-mile Pennsylvania Derby.

A multiple graded stakes winner, Alpha could stamp himself as the leading 3-year-old male contender for the Breeders' Cup Classic with a victory Saturday. A triumph by Golden Ticket — who had just a maiden win before the Travers — will help silence those who deemed his Mid-Summer Derby effort a fluke.

"He needed the last race," said Ken McPeek, trainer of Golden Ticket. "He drank over a bucket of water in the spit box (after) so that's a horse who had gotten tired. Hopefully he runs a little bit better than the last time just off fitness level and — I hope it wasn't a fluke. I hope they're wrong. We'll see."

  Comments  

Videos

Jockey nearly falls from horse but makes miraculous recovery

Breeders’ Cup trainer has a Kentucky football rooting interest

View More Video

Trending Stories

Kentucky Senate approves NRA gun bill on anniversary of Parkland school shooting

February 14, 2019 11:59 AM

Pazzo’s, Magee’s Bakery, Texas de Brazil, Sonic, Qdoba and more on probation

February 15, 2019 06:45 AM

‘A sad day for ... justice system.’ Kentucky detective sentenced for lying in gruesome case

February 14, 2019 02:56 PM

Updated list of restaurants on probation as of February: Read before you eat

February 15, 2019 07:00 AM

Paradise no more. TVA votes to close iconic coal-burning power plant in Kentucky.

February 14, 2019 11:09 AM

Read Next

Sports

Jockey Craig Perret among 9 finalists for racing HOF

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 14, 2019 02:33 PM

Jockey Craig Perret, trainers Mark Casse, Christophe Clement and the late David Whiteley, and five thoroughbreds are finalists on the National Museum of Racing's 2019 Hall of Fame ballot.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE HORSES

As 2019 prep races heat up, which horses are the top Kentucky Derby contenders?

John Clay

As 2019 prep races heat up, which horses are the top Kentucky Derby contenders?

February 12, 2019 05:34 PM
Horseracing to resume in Britain after equine flu contained

Living

Horseracing to resume in Britain after equine flu contained

February 11, 2019 06:47 PM

Health & Medicine

New blow to horse racing as more equine flu cases announced

February 10, 2019 08:23 PM
The Kentucky Derby trail features a colt with a name UK sports fans will love

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby trail features a colt with a name UK sports fans will love

February 07, 2019 12:18 PM
Lawsuit: Falsified vet X-rays at Keeneland horse sales led to buyers playing ‘Russian roulette’

Fayette County

Lawsuit: Falsified vet X-rays at Keeneland horse sales led to buyers playing ‘Russian roulette’

February 07, 2019 06:36 PM

Sports

Saratoga Race Course’s summer season 1 week longer

February 07, 2019 04:15 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Lexington Herald Leader App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Local Deals
  • Digital Solutions
  • Media Kit
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story