Pennsylvania Derby And Cotillion Stakes 2026 Betting Guide
Pennsylvania Derby Day Headlines A Massive Card At Parx
Parx Racing hosts its biggest day of the year on Saturday, September 19, 2026, when the 46th running of the betPARX Pennsylvania Derby and the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes share a 15 race program in Bensalem. Both races carry a $1 million purse and both hold Grade 1 status, giving Pennsylvania Derby Day two genuine championship prep races on a single afternoon. Gates open at 10am with the first live race going off at 10:35am, and the Pennsylvania Derby is the last major dirt race for three year olds on the 2026 calendar, which has drawn a deep and experienced field.
The Pennsylvania Derby runs at a mile and an eighth for three year old colts and geldings, while the Cotillion goes a mile and a sixteenth for three year old fillies. Both races have produced Breeders' Cup starters in past years, and connections treat Parx as a legitimate final tune up spot before the November championships.
Pennsylvania Derby Full Field And Morning Line Odds
Eleven go to post for the featured race of the day, race 14 on the card with a post time of 5:48pm. See the standalone field table for full post by post detail. Further Ado sits on top of the morning line, but this is a field with real depth from top to bottom.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zihnal | John Velazquez | Jonathan Thomas | 8/1 |
| 2 | Iron Honor | Jose Ortiz | Chad Brown | 5/1 |
| 3 | Our Moneyman | Manny Franco | Bret Calhoun | 8/1 |
| 4 | Igniter | Luis Saez | Rick Dutrow Jr. | 8/1 |
| 5 | Talk to Me Jimmy | Ruben Silvera | Rudy Rodriguez | 12/1 |
| 6 | The Puma | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado | 4/1 |
| 7 | Further Ado | Flavien Prat | Brad Cox | 2/1 |
| 8 | Freedom's Echo | TBC | Guadalupe Preciado | 20/1 |
| 9 | Sassmaster | Tyler Gaffalione | Todd Pletcher | 10/1 |
| 10 | Micanopy | Paco Lopez | Michael Simone | 15/1 |
| 11 | Ponder and Dream | Mychel Sanchez | Robert Reid Jr. | 20/1 |
Further Ado Sets The Pace As The Betting Favorite
Further Ado, a Grade 1 winner trained by Brad Cox, tops the morning line at 2/1 with Flavien Prat named to ride from post seven. The colt is looking to bounce back in this spot after his most recent effort, and Cox has a knack for getting three year olds peaking in September stakes company. The Puma, trained by Gustavo Delgado and ridden by Javier Castellano, sits second on the morning line at 4/1 after finishing fourth in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 29, a result that still reads well given the level of that field.
Iron Honor rounds out the top three in the market at 5/1 for trainer Chad Brown and jockey Jose Ortiz. Behind them, Zihnal, Our Moneyman and Igniter are all bunched at 8/1, with John Velazquez, Manny Franco and Luis Saez aboard respectively. Sassmaster is next at 10/1 for Todd Pletcher and Tyler Gaffalione, followed by Talk to Me Jimmy at 12/1, Micanopy at 15/1, and Freedom's Echo and Ponder and Dream both at 20/1 to close out the field.
Cotillion Stakes Full Field And Morning Line Odds
Nine three year old fillies contest the Cotillion at a mile and a sixteenth, and the market has a clear standout at the top. See the standalone field table for the full post by post breakdown.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | My Miss Mo | Tyler Gaffalione | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 5/1 |
| 2 | Bodacious Bay | Micah Husbands | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 8/1 |
| 3 | Zany | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 9/2 |
| 4 | Always a Runner | Jose Ortiz | Chad Brown | 8/5 |
| 5 | Iron Orchard | Luis Saez | Steve Asmussen | 12/1 |
| 6 | Savor It | Francisco Martinez | Uriah St. Lewis | 30/1 |
| 7 | Ms Sophistication | Paco Lopez | Jorge Duarte Jr. | 15/1 |
| 8 | Measure | Manny Franco | Mark Casse | 4/1 |
| 9 | Tap to Open | Flavien Prat | Brad Cox | 8/1 |
Always A Runner Chases A Second Grade 1 Of 2026
Always a Runner, the Kentucky Oaks winner trained by Chad Brown with Jose Ortiz aboard, is the 8/5 favorite and the closest thing to a standout in either race on the card. She has won three of five starts this season and has already banked more than $1.18 million, and a win here would give her a second Grade 1 of the year to go with her Oaks score. Measure is the second choice at 4/1 for trainer Mark Casse with Manny Franco riding, while Zany sits at 9/2 for Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.
My Miss Mo is next at 5/1 for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, with Bodacious Bay, also from the Joseph barn, at 8/1 under Micah Husbands. Tap to Open is priced at 8/1 as well for Brad Cox and Flavien Prat. Iron Orchard sits at 12/1 for Steve Asmussen and Luis Saez, Ms Sophistication at 15/1 for Jorge Duarte Jr and Paco Lopez, and Savor It rounds out the field at 30/1 for trainer Uriah St. Lewis and jockey Francisco Martinez.
Our Best Bets For Pennsylvania Derby Day
In the Pennsylvania Derby, we lean toward Further Ado on top at 2/1 given the Grade 1 form and a live pace scenario with Flavien Prat up, but The Puma at 4/1 is the play if you want value off that Travers effort. An exacta box of those two covers the most likely outcomes, with Iron Honor as the class play underneath for the trifecta.
In the Cotillion, Always a Runner at 8/5 is short but earned, and we are comfortable backing her to win outright given the form line. For anyone looking for value, Measure at 4/1 gives the most realistic path to an upset given Mark Casse's record with fillies at this level, and she makes sense as a saver underneath in exactas and doubles.
Ready To Bet Pennsylvania Derby Day?
Two Grade 1 races worth a combined $2 million headline one of the best single day cards anywhere in the country this fall, and Parx has built a 15 race program around them. Whether you are backing Further Ado and Always a Runner as the favorites or hunting value further down the board, get your bets in before Saturday's first post.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Question
The 46th running of the betPARX Pennsylvania Derby goes Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Parx Racing in Bensalem, with a post time of 5:48pm as race 14 on a 15 race card. The Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes runs on the same card.
Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox with Flavien Prat riding, is the 2/1 morning line favorite. The Puma is next at 4/1, followed by Iron Honor at 5/1 in an 11 horse field.
The Cotillion Stakes is a Grade 1 race for three year old fillies run at a mile and a sixteenth at Parx Racing, carrying a $1 million purse and run on the same card as the Pennsylvania Derby.
Yes. Always a Runner, the Kentucky Oaks winner trained by Chad Brown, is the 8/5 morning line favorite in a nine horse field. Measure is next at 4/1 and Zany at 9/2.
You can bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or at your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT. Online betting is open to all customers 18 and up.
