High Cotton Takes Rushaway Stakes

Todd Pletcher-trained High Cotton led all the way to defeat 11 rivals in the $100,000 Rushaway for 3-year-olds at Turfway Park Saturday.

Michael Dilger, assistant to Pletcher, said High Cotton would ship to Keeneland Sunday before a decision is made on his immediate future. The Rushaway preceded the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) on the Turfway card.

With Chris DeCarlo aboard, High Cotton - a son of Dixe Union - registered a 2 1/4-length win over the maiden Special Interest in the 1 1/16-mile test. The time on the all-weather track was 1:45.The second choice, High Cotton paid $8.80, $5 and $4.40. Special Interest returned $27.60 and $19. Bear Character was $15.20 to show.

High Cotton, who ran second in both the Iroquois (gr. III) and Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) as a juvenile, earned $62,000 for his second win in seven starts, boosting his bankroll to $160,450. He made his 3-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park Feb. 22, finishing last of 11 after pressing the pace in a first-level allowance race at one mile.

Bred by W.S. Farish and O.M. Phipps in Kentucky, High Cotton is out of Happy Tune, by A.P. Indy, High Cotton brought $110,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in September 2004.

Kings Challenge, Warrior Within, Fabled, Triptanic, In A Flash, Warwick Wonder, Mark of Success, and Fidrych completed the order.