Untapable Headlines Strong Cotillion

As many as nine sophomore fillies look to join a list of winners that includes the likes of Ashado (Saint Ballado), Careless Jewel (Tapit), Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), My Miss Aurelia (Smart Strike) and Close Hatches (First Defence) in today’s GI Cotillion S. at Parx. The conversation has to start with Winchell Thoroughbreds’s leading lady Untapable (Tapit). The bay has been close to unbeatable against her own sex this season, having taken the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Fair Grounds Oaks with devastating ease before making similarly easy work of the GI Kentucky Oaks May 2. She proved much too good for four foes in the GI Mother Goose S. at Belmont June 28, but settled for fifth as the favorite last time when taking on the boys in the June 27 GI Haskell Invitational S. With a 6-4-0-1 record at this 1 1/16-mile distance and the three fastest Beyer Speed Figures in the field, the Steve Asmussen pupil is certainly a formidable favorite. Treadway Racing Stable’s three-time Grade I winner Sweet Reason (Street Sense) tries two turns for the first time since finishing a distance third in the Big A’s GII Gazelle S. in April. Last year’s GI Spinaway S. heroine belied 9-1 odds to score in Belmont’s one-turn-mile GI Acorn S. June 7, and added the seven-furlong GI Test S. at the Spa Aug. 2. Priscilla Vaccarezza’s lightly raced Little Alexis (Mr. Greeley) was a close third in the Test, and stretches out for the first time here in just her fourth lifetime start. “I think she deserves the chance [to try and stretch out],” offered trainer Carlo Vaccarezza, who saddled the bay to a visually impressive success in Gulfstream’s Cash Run S. in July. “She is bred to go two turns and we’ve been prepping her down at Gulfstream Park to go two turns. She is lightly raced and she’s been improving with every start. In her last race, she was in trouble from the get-go and she got bumped a lot down the backstretch.” Zayat Stables and WinStar Farm’s “TDN Rising Star” Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile) invades from California for Bob Baffert, who scored with Plum Pretty (Medaglia d’Oro) here in 2011. The bay is two-for-two since stretching out, with a romping victory in Santa Anita’s GII Summer Oaks in June and a last-out score in Del Mar’s Aug. 31 GIII Torrey Pines S. “It’s a tough race, but she is on top of her game right now and I think we’re in good shape,” said Baffert’s assistant Jim Barnes. The connections of morning line second choice Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) are leaning towards skipping this spot for Belmont’s GI Beldame Invitational S. one week later.