Society thoroughly dominated the $1 million Cotillion S. (G1) at Parx on Saturday, cruising to a 5 ¾-length victory to become the sixth lifetime Grade 1 winner for Gun Runner.
Gun Runner had a day for the ages on Saturday. In addition to Society’s win, he accounted for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) with Taiba, Echo Zulu made a triumphant return in the Dogwood S. (G3), Gunite dominated the $275,000 Harrods Creek S. at Churchill Downs, and Sixtythreecaliber won the $160,000 Seneca S., also at Churchill.
Gun Runner leads the Second-Crop Sire list by a wide margin with more than $11 million in progeny earnings and is ranked in the top 10 on the General Sire list.
Society, who was coming off a seven-length win in the Aug. 26 Charles Town Oaks (G3), went right to the front on Saturday, opening up a two-length lead in the first half-mile. Jockey Florent Geroux allowed her to widen on the final bend, putting a half-dozen lengths on the field at the top of the stretch. She was all alone the rest of the way and finished up the 1 1/16-miles in 1:42.94 on a fast track.
“I knew if I kept her relaxed (I would win),” Geroux said. “I was content just to keep her off if the pace if it was honest enough, but honestly after three jumps I was already in the lead. I was clear. I felt like I was going nicely, but I wasn’t going crazy. She’s extremely quick. Those horses have a ton of speed, so the worst thing you can do is try to and get them off rhythm. You want to try and stay the same tempo and keep them relaxed.”
Society, who races for her breeder Peter Blum, has five wins in six starts and has earned $1,109,775.
