Horse Racing
Jim Dunleavy | Daily Racing Form 7y

Trainer hoping Salty will enjoy more racing luck in Cotillion

Horse Racing

For the fourth time in five starts, Salty drew the outside post position for the Grade 1 Cotillon at Parx on Saturday. She will break from the 12 hole in the 1 1/16-mile race, one slot farther out than favored Abel Tasman, who will be shooting for her fourth consecutive Grade 1 win.

The Cotillion will be the fourth time Salty takes on Abel Tasman this year. She finished fifth to her in the Kentucky Oaks, second in the Acorn, and third to her in the Coaching Club American Oaks.

In addition to having difficult post positions, Salty has had some rough trips. In the Coaching Club, she was unprepared for the start and leapt in the air to get away behind the field. She also encountered traffic problems over a sloppy track in the Kentucky Oaks and did well to be beaten only four lengths from post 14.

She raced in traffic for much of her last start, the Grade 1 Alabama, and finished third, just missing second by a head to It Tiz Well, who also is entered in the Cotillion.

Trainer Mark Casse said he "couldn't believe it" when he saw she drew the outside for the Cotillion.

"She's had luck this year, it just hasn't been great luck," Casse said.

Salty may have run her best race of the season in the one-mile Acorn at Belmont Park on June 10. Jockey Joel Rosario went outside horses with Salty nearing the stretch of that race, while jockey Mike Smith made what may have been the winning move by swinging Abel Tasman to the inside.

"We were just outmaneuvered by Mike Smith that day," Casse said. "Abel Tasman was behind us, and I looked away for a second, and all of a sudden she was in front of us."

Salty tried hard to the wire, but came up a length short.

Casse kept Salty at Saratoga after the meet ended.

"Last year we had a lot of success doing that," Casse said. "We did it this year with World Approval, too."

World Approval won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Saturday.

Casse shipped Salty to Belmont a few days ago, and will ship her to Parx on race day.

"We wanted her to have an easy trip over there Saturday," Casse said.

^ Back to Top ^