Miraculous Miss Heads Cotillion Field

Miraculous Miss, a winner of six of seven starts, should be the heavy favorite in Saturday's Cotillion (gr. II) at Philadelphia Park Saturday. The daughter of Mr. Greeley was one of seven 3-year-old fillies entered in the $500,000 race.

In her last three starts, Miraculous Miss has rattled off stakes wins for Steve Klesaris, who trains her and owns her in partnership with Jeff Puglisi's Puglisi Stables.

Miraculous Miss won the Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park in March, took the Comely Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct in April, and then after a layoff, returned to win the Endine Handicap (gr. III) at Delaware Park Sept. 9.

Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Akijiro O'Hara, Miraculous Miss was purchased for $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-yeaer-olds sale.

The fact that she likes to run from off the pace should only help Miraculous Miss in the 1 1/16-mile race, with plenty of speed among the six competitors.

Mario Pino, who rides at Keeneland on Friday, will head to Philly Park for the mount Saturday. Miraculous Miss carries high weight of 122 pounds.

One of those that has run well both on the lead and closing from the back is Ermine, who will be making her first start since the June 10 Acorn Stakes (gr. I), in which she finished fifth. But prior to that, Ermine, by Exchange Rate, ran second in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) after winning the Honeybee Stakes.

Ermine is owned by Art and Stephanie Preston's Oxbox Racing and trained by Ronny Werner. No rider was named on Ermine.

Baby Bird may be an interesting entry in the race, having won three of four races, her only blemish a fourth in the Capote Belle Stakes at Saratoga when she stumbled at the start.
She rebounded from that effort with an easy allowance win at Belmont Sept. 13. By Cape Town, she is another high-priced auction horse, purchased as a yearling for $375,000. Trained by Rick Dutrow, she races for Mace and Samantha's Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable. Channing Hill has the mount for the first time on Baby Bird.

The field, in post position order, with jockey assignment:
Miraculous Miss, 122, Mario Pino
Miss Savannah Rose, 114, no rider
Ermine, 117, no rider
Baby Bird, 113, Channing Hill
Amandatude, 117, Stewart Elliott
Miss Shop, 116, Richard Migliore
India, 118, Joe Bravo