BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Pine Brook Farm’s Foggy Night will attempt to continue a trend of upset winners the $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing Saturday as the Florida-bred filly tries for her first Grade 1 victory against an accomplished field of eight other 3-year-old fillies.
Foggy Night is 12-1 on the morning line while Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks-winner Pretty Mischievous, a winner of two straight Grade 1 stakes since, is the 2-1 program favorite.
Foggy Night has a recent trend working in her favor, however, as three Kentucky Oaks winners in recent years have been defeated in the Cotillion.
Abel Tasman, winner of the 2017 Oaks, lost to Tiz Well in the Cotillion the year before Monomoy Girl was disqualified and placed second behind Midnight Bisou in that year’s Cotillion. Serengeti Empress, winner of the 2019 Kentucky Oaks, fell victim to longshot Street Band in the Cotillion and last year, Kentucky Oaks-winner Secret Oath finished third in the Cotillion won by Society.
Foggy Night brings into this year’s Cotillion solid upset credentials having won three of her last four starts including a length-and-three-quarters victory in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on July 1. During that span, the daughter of Journeyman Stud stallion Khozan has two victories at Parx starting with a six-length romp in a upper-level, $40,000 optional claiming going seven furlongs on June 5 and a two-and-a-half length score in the $200,000 Cathryn Sophia at a mile-and-70-yards in her last race on Aug. 22.
Her only defeat in her last four races came two starts back when third behind Cotillion-rival Occult in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks at Monmouth Park on July 29 when checked by jockey Paco Lopez in the first turn due to traffic.
Trained by Robert Reid Jr., Foggy Night has been a model of consistency in her career with four wins and five seconds in 10 starts. Her only finish out of the top two came when sixth in last year’s Grade 2 Demoiselle won by Julia Shining over a sloppy nine furlongs at Aqueduct in December.
Foggy Night is out of Settling Seas, by Stormy Atlantic and has earned $443,750 in her career. She was bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung, who consigned the chestnut filly to last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where Pine Brook purchased her for $20,000.
Foggy Night will break from post one in the Cotillion and Florent Geroux will ride the filly for the first time.
Godolphin LLC’s Pretty Mischievous will be trying for her fourth straight Grade 1 tally in the Cotillion with recent victories in the Grade 1 Acorn going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Belmont Park on June 9 and in the Grade 1 Test over seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 5.
Pretty Mischievous is trained by Brendon Walsh and regular rider Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard for the eighth time in her 10 career starts. The bay filly has seven wins with a second and a third while earning $1,756,560 and she has drawn post three.
The Chad Brown-trained Occult makes her first start since winning the Monmouth Oaks and looks to avenge a third-place finish to Pretty Mischievous in the Acorn two starts back.
The dark bay or brown daughter of Into Mischief will race in the colors of Alpha Delta Stables and is 6-1 on the morning line. She has won half of her six career starts with a third while earning $327,450.
Irad Oritz Jr. will be aboard when Occult breaks from post five.
Defining Purpose, winner of the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 8, is the second choice on the morning line at 4-1 and comes into the Cotillion off a third-place finish behind winner Randomized in the Grade 1 Alabama going 10 furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 19.
Trainer Kenneth McPeek has again given the riding chores on Defining Purpose to Brian Hernandez Jr. and they will break from post seven.
Also set for the Cotillion are Ceiling Crusher with Edwin Maldonado as her pilot, Hoosier Philly and jockey John Velazquez, Just Katherine will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, Imonra has Tyler Connor set to handle the reins and Majestic Creed with Mychel Sanchez up.
