Close Hatches attains millionaire status with Cotillion win

Juddmonte Farms' Close Hatches was sent off the 8-5 favorite in Saturday's

Grade 1, $1 million

Cotillion at Parx Racing, and vindicated that status with a two-length score

under jockey Mike Smith.

The Bill Mott pupil battled early leader Sweet Lulu through fractions of :23

4/5, :47 1/5 and 1:10 2/5, with My Happy Face dogging their every step. The trio

ran in tandem for a time nearing the turn before Close Hatches finally grabbed

command. Sweet Lulu tried to fight back, but her rival was too good, finishing 1

1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:44.

My Happy Face faded in the lane as Street Girl came with a furious rally

following a stumbling start out of the gate. That 25-1 second longest shot on

the board just missed second by a nose while getting the best of My Happy Face

by a half-length. Dancing Afleet filled out the fifth spot and was followed

under the wire by Asiya, Seaneen Girl, Promise Me More and Carnival Court. Flash

Forward was scratched.

Close Hatches got back on the winning track in her last race, earning her

first Grade 1 victory in the June 22 Mother Goose at Belmont Park. This second

straight top-level victory improved her record to 7-5-1-0 and the $556,000

winner's share of the purse more than doubled her career earnings to $1,007,300.

The three-year-old miss finally showed her early spark in the Mother Goose

last out, grabbing command by the second call and easily pulling away for the 7

1/4-length triumph.

Bred in Kentucky by Millsec Ltd., Close Hatches is the first registered foal

out of the winning Storm Cat mare Rising Tornado, who is herself a daughter of

the listed-placed Zafonic mare Silver Star. Close Hatches' third dam is the

Group 3-winning Sir Ivor mare Monroe, from whom is descended the likes of

English, Irish and French highweight sire Xaar and multiple Grade 1-winning

stallion Senure.

Most notably, Close Hatches' fourth dam is the blue-hen mare Best in Show,

who was honored as the 1982 Broodmare of the Year. She is the dam of 1982

Kentucky Oaks queen Blush With Pride, who is the granddam of champion Rags to

Riches, who captured the 2007 editions of the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks;

2006 Belmont Stakes king Jazil; and 2009 Breeders' Cup Marathon victor Man of

Iron.