In Saturday’s Cotillion Stakes (USA-G1) at Parx Racing, three Grade 1 winners—Good Cheer, La Cara, and Scottish Lassie—furnished most of the pre-race chat. Post-race was a different story, as all three of the big names failed to hit the board. Instead, a new shooter’s connections got to pop some champagne as last-out Indiana Oaks (USA-G3) winner Clicquot, making her Grade 1 debut, gamely withstood a stiff drive through the stretch to beat Dry Powder home by a neck. Ourdaydreaminggirl, the longest shot on the board at 47-1, made a strong closing run to finish another head back in third.
Bred by Don Alberto Corporation, Clicquot is the 15th Grade/Group 1 winner sired by Lane’s End veteran sire Quality Road, who has been represented by 19 stakes winners so far in 2025. Also the sire of recent Ballerina Stakes (USA-G1) winner Hope Road, Quality Road has sired 639 winners (59.2 percent) and 93 stakes winners (8.6 percent) from 1,080 named foals aged 3 and up, giving him a remarkably consistent record for a modern-day stallion. Clicquot is the stallion’s fourth Grade 1 winner from an A.P. Indy-line mare, following Bellafina, Dunbar Road, and Emblem Road but is the first stakes winner of any sort sired by Quality Road from a Tapit mare.
Clicquot was produced from Tapit’s daughter Royal Obsession, who was the runner-up in the 2016 Gazelle Stakes (USA-G2) during her own racing days. A US$1.8 million purchase for Don Alberto Corp. from the 2017 Keeneland November mixed sale, Royal Obsession is also the dam of stakes-placed Silver Ticket (by Curlin) and the winning Distorted Humor filly Rue de Bac. She did not produce a live foal in 2023 or 2024 but gave birth to an Elite Power filly this spring before visiting Good Magic.
Tapit, of course, needs no introduction; a three-time American sire champion, he is currently leading the American broodmare sire list after finishing fifth in 2022, second in 2023, and third in 2024. Royal Obsession’s dam Rote is another matter, with her only other black-type runner being Jumby Bay, who placed in a couple of small stakes races at Tampa Bay Downs. Rote, though, is a winning Tiznow half sister to 2006 Garden City Breeders’ Cup Stakes (USA-G1) winner Magnificent Song (by Unbridled’s Song). She is also a half sister to three graded/Group stakes-placed runners, and having Storm Cat and Round Table as the sires of the next two dams along the female line certainly did not hurt Royal Obsession’s appeal.
Rote and her siblings were produced from Song to Remember (by Storm Cat), a winning half sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Lech (by Danzig), 1989 Miss Grillo Stakes (USA-G3) winner Savina (by Nijinsky II), and listed stakes winner Crimson Guard by Danzig). Produced from stakes-placed Wedding Reception (by Round Table), Song to Remember is also a half sister to Erandel (by Danzig), dam of 2003 Oceanport Handicap (USA-G3) winner Runspastum (by Woodman) and second dam of 2013 Gardenia Stakes (USA-G3) winner Devious Intent (by Dixie Union). Wedding Reception, in turn, is out of 1964 Diana Handicap winner Prodana Neviesta (by Reneged), making her a full sister to 1974 Lawrence Realization (USA-G2) winner Prod and a half sister to 1975 Schuylerville Stakes (USA-G3) winner Nijana (by Nijinsky II). Another half sister to Wedding Reception, Dowry (by Damascus), is the dam of 1986 San Simeon Stakes (USA-G3) winner Estate (by Singh).
Now riding a four-race win streak after breaking her maiden at second asking, Clicquot has jumbled the standings in the American 3-year-old filly division into a tangle unlikely to be resolved before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1). Barring something very unusual happening, such as a leading filly successfully tackling colts or older males in a late-season graded race (a la Surfside in the 2000 Clark Handicap, USA-G2), the Eclipse statuette will probably go to whichever of the top 3-year-old fillies turns in the best performance in the Distaff. Which one will it be? At this point, your guess is as good as mine, and quite possibly better.
Bred by Don Alberto Corporation, Clicquot is the 15th Grade/Group 1 winner sired by Lane’s End veteran sire Quality Road, who has been represented by 19 stakes winners so far in 2025. Also the sire of recent Ballerina Stakes (USA-G1) winner Hope Road, Quality Road has sired 639 winners (59.2 percent) and 93 stakes winners (8.6 percent) from 1,080 named foals aged 3 and up, giving him a remarkably consistent record for a modern-day stallion. Clicquot is the stallion’s fourth Grade 1 winner from an A.P. Indy-line mare, following Bellafina, Dunbar Road, and Emblem Road but is the first stakes winner of any sort sired by Quality Road from a Tapit mare.
Clicquot was produced from Tapit’s daughter Royal Obsession, who was the runner-up in the 2016 Gazelle Stakes (USA-G2) during her own racing days. A US$1.8 million purchase for Don Alberto Corp. from the 2017 Keeneland November mixed sale, Royal Obsession is also the dam of stakes-placed Silver Ticket (by Curlin) and the winning Distorted Humor filly Rue de Bac. She did not produce a live foal in 2023 or 2024 but gave birth to an Elite Power filly this spring before visiting Good Magic.
Tapit, of course, needs no introduction; a three-time American sire champion, he is currently leading the American broodmare sire list after finishing fifth in 2022, second in 2023, and third in 2024. Royal Obsession’s dam Rote is another matter, with her only other black-type runner being Jumby Bay, who placed in a couple of small stakes races at Tampa Bay Downs. Rote, though, is a winning Tiznow half sister to 2006 Garden City Breeders’ Cup Stakes (USA-G1) winner Magnificent Song (by Unbridled’s Song). She is also a half sister to three graded/Group stakes-placed runners, and having Storm Cat and Round Table as the sires of the next two dams along the female line certainly did not hurt Royal Obsession’s appeal.
Rote and her siblings were produced from Song to Remember (by Storm Cat), a winning half sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Lech (by Danzig), 1989 Miss Grillo Stakes (USA-G3) winner Savina (by Nijinsky II), and listed stakes winner Crimson Guard by Danzig). Produced from stakes-placed Wedding Reception (by Round Table), Song to Remember is also a half sister to Erandel (by Danzig), dam of 2003 Oceanport Handicap (USA-G3) winner Runspastum (by Woodman) and second dam of 2013 Gardenia Stakes (USA-G3) winner Devious Intent (by Dixie Union). Wedding Reception, in turn, is out of 1964 Diana Handicap winner Prodana Neviesta (by Reneged), making her a full sister to 1974 Lawrence Realization (USA-G2) winner Prod and a half sister to 1975 Schuylerville Stakes (USA-G3) winner Nijana (by Nijinsky II). Another half sister to Wedding Reception, Dowry (by Damascus), is the dam of 1986 San Simeon Stakes (USA-G3) winner Estate (by Singh).
Now riding a four-race win streak after breaking her maiden at second asking, Clicquot has jumbled the standings in the American 3-year-old filly division into a tangle unlikely to be resolved before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1). Barring something very unusual happening, such as a leading filly successfully tackling colts or older males in a late-season graded race (a la Surfside in the 2000 Clark Handicap, USA-G2), the Eclipse statuette will probably go to whichever of the top 3-year-old fillies turns in the best performance in the Distaff. Which one will it be? At this point, your guess is as good as mine, and quite possibly better.
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