Medaglia d' Oro filly Wonder Gadot is ready to stake her claim to the Cotillion crown in a face-off with old rival Monomoy Girl.
Canadian Gary Barber (former chairman and CEO of MGM) owned filly will be racing at a shorter distance of 9 furlongs' distance after the classic distance of 10 furlongs earlier.
Lightly raced Monomoy Girl will be at the gates for the fifth time her career. The Tapizar filly has been unbeaten thus far having gathered four Gr.1 races (Ashland Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes and American Oaks) thus far in the year. She is aimed at the Breeders' Cup Distaff later this year.
With a chance for redemption for the Kentucky Oaks defeat, Casse is confident that his filly will be ready on Saturday and her two breezes since her Travers, a bullet 47.2 for four furlongs over a wet-fast Saratoga main track on September 6, followed by a slower 51 seconds flat at the same distance on September 14, over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga have kept her in peak form.
Another rival seeking redemption is the Assmusen trained Midnight Bisou, who might have been over stretched in her last start at ten furlongs but will she do better at nine furlongs is the questions. This gorgeous filly will only get better and better as she gets older
Candy Ride filly Separationofpowers was fourth in her first start of the year but she was second her fantastic finish in the second one. She could do well here if Wonder Gadot doesn’t ‘one-up-man’ her.
Chocolate Martini and Dixie Serenade offer a chance to support a long shot under dogs.
Credit: Ritesh Jamkhedkar ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com