Parx Racing’s Sam Elliott is looking for a major league match-up between the top flight fillies Cathryn Sofia and Songbird.
The head-to-head battle the affable director of racing is anticipating would be staged in the $1 million, Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes on Sept. 24.
The co-feature on that card is the $1 million, Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby.
Proceeding as though he had firm commitments from the connections of both the undefeated and Eclipse Award winning Songbird and the Kentucky Oaks winning Cathryn Sofia, Elliott is offering the brand new $150,000-guaranteed Princess of Sylmar Stakes at one mile on Parx main track on Sept. 3, three weeks before the Cotillion.
A statement from Parx says, “It is expected that the currently undefeated Songbird will headline the Cotillion and the new stake will allow a perfect scenario for Catherine Sofia to be at her best when she takes on the champ.”
Cathryn Sofia’s trainer, John Servis, reacted to the new race saying, It’s still a ways off. We hope all goes well up the that point. But, (the Princess of Sylmar race) gives us a chance to get a race over the track before the Cotillion.”
The race is named in honor of Princess of Sylmar, a daughter of AP Indy from the Catienus mare Storm Dixie. In a brilliant three-year-old season, she won the 2013 runnings of the Busanda, Busher, Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama and Beldame Stakes.
She was campaigned by Ed Stanco’s King of Prussia Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher.
Source: NJ.com, Alex Orr Jr.