Marbre Rose (IRE) has been tabbed as the morning line favorite at odds of 7-2 in the wide open field for trainer Christophe Clement. A four-year-old daughter of Smart Strike, she began her career in France and made her stateside debut a winning one last fall at Belmont Park. She has been on the shelf since a sixth-place finish in the Honeybee Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and has been training steadily. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the irons from post position eleven.
Shrinking Violet is the second choice on the morning line at odds of 4-1. Owned and trained by Wesley Ward, the five-year-old daughter of Congaree has won seven of her seventeen starts and is a graded stakes winner. She returned off of a four-month break last time out to finish in a dead-heat for third in The Very One Stakes at Pimlico. Kent Desormeaux, aboard for her win in January, will be back aboard from post position twelve.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 6-1 is Radiator (GB) for trainer Bill Mott. Bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, the bay daughter of Dubawi (IRE) has won two of her eight starts and will be trying to earn the first stakes victory of her career. After an allowance win in her first North American start in April, she finished sixth in the Beaugay (G3) last time out. Joel Rosario will remain aboard and they will break from post thirteen.
The Grade 2 $1.25 million Pennsylvania Derby features the two biggest names from the Triple Crown trail September 24 at Parx as a field of 12 gathers in one of the most intriguing betting races of the year.
The $1 million Cotillion Stakes September 24 at Parx features a true clash of the titans as the six-horse field is headlined by the undefeated, five-time grade 1 winner Songbird who figures to face the most stern challenge of her career.
In a completely wide open renewal of the Presque Isle Mile September 18 at Presque Isle Downs, 13 runners including the also-eligible will contest the eight furlong trip over synthetic footing.
Champion Songbird is set to make her much-anticipated return to the races in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita on Saturday. The Grade 2 event will be run at a mile and a sixteenth and has attracted a field of seven.
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