Always a Runner heads competitive Cotillion
Black-Eyed Susan winner My Miss Mo among hopefuls
The Biz
September 16, 2026
Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner will seek a second Grade 1 victory Saturday when she leads a field of nine 3-year-old fillies in the $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing.
The 1 1/16-mile Cotillion has drawn three fillies exiting Grade 1 races at Saratoga in Always a Runner, Measure and Zany. Black-Eyed Susan winner My Miss Mo brings a two-race winning streak into her first Grade 1 try.
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Always a Runner will seek her first victory since her smashing Kentucky Oaks win for trainer Chad Brown. After winning her debut and the Grade 3 Gazelle, the daughter of Gun Runner rallied to take the Kentucky Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths.
She finished second to Counting Stars in both subsequent starts, the Grade 1 Acorn and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. Always a Runner made the lead in the stretch of the Acorn before settling for second, then finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Counting Stars in the CCA Oaks. Jose Ortiz retains the mount for owners Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm.
Measure enters off the best performance of her career, missing by a head to My Guns Loaded in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga. The Mark Casse trainee also finished third in the CCA Oaks, 2 ½ lengths behind Always a Runner.
The late-running daughter of Essential Quality remains eligible for a first-level allowance, but her last two efforts suggest she belongs with the division’s better fillies. Manny Franco will ride for owners Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
My Miss Mo, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., has won three of seven starts and has never finished worse than second in four outings this year. She earned her first graded victory in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Laurel Park, then returned to win the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks by 1 1/2 lengths.
The daughter of Uncle Mo figures to be prominent from the outset. She has been first or second at the first call in each of her last three races and could have a major say in how the Cotillion unfolds. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount.
Zany will try to rebound after finishing fourth in the CCA Oaks. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the American Pharoah filly won her first three starts, including the Grade 2 Demoiselle, before finishing second in the Grade 1 Ashland and sixth in the Kentucky Oaks, both times as the favorite.
John Velazquez will ride Zany, whose tactical speed should allow her to secure a favorable position behind the early leaders.
The Cotillion is carded as the 13th race on a 15-race program, with post time scheduled for 4:58 p.m. Eastern.
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