The Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion at Parx Racing on Saturday attracted fields worthy of their $1 million purses and Grade 1 status when post positions were drawn Monday.

Monomoy Girl, the leading 3-year-old filly in the nation, will be a solid favorite over seven rivals to keep her 2018 record perfect in the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion. She will start from post 2 with regular rider Florent Geroux aboard for trainer Brad Cox.

Her leading challengers are Wonder Gadot, who is trained by Mark Casse and will break from post 4 under John Velazquez; and the Steve Asmussen-trained Midnight Bisou, who will have Mike Smith up from post 7.

The Cotillion field, in post position order, is Norma's Charm (post 1, no rider), Monomoy Girl, Jump Ruler (post 3, Albin Jimenez), Wonder Gadot, Separationofpowers (post 5, Jose Ortiz), Chocolate Martini (post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.), Midnight Bisou, and Dixie Serenade (post 8, Mychel Sanchez).

McKinzie, a top 3-year-old early this year, will head a field of 10 when he makes his first start in more than six months in the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby. Bob Baffert will be shooting for his third Pennsylvania Derby win in the last five years. McKinzie drew post 8 and will be ridden by Smith.

Standing in McKinzie's way is the steadily improving Hofburg, who won the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga by five lengths but was forced to skip the Travers when he spiked a fever. Irad Ortiz Jr., who has ridden Hofburg in all six of his starts, will be in the saddle from post 2.

Other contenders include Axelrod, who is just coming into his own for trainer Mike McCarthy, and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained iron horse Bravazo.

Axelrod, who has post 6 and Joe Bravo, won the Smarty Jones at Parx and the Indiana Derby in his last two starts. Bravazo, who drew the outside post and will have Luis Saez in the irons, most recently finished third in the Travers, a length behind runner-up Mendelssohn.

The field also includes Instilled Regard (post 3, Jose Ortiz), who will be making his first start for Chad Brown and his first since finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby; the Dale Romans duo of West Virginia Derby winner Mr. Freeze (post 7, Robby Albarado) and Travers fourth-place finisher King Zachary (post 4, Corey Lanerie); Ohio Derby winner Core Beliefs (post 5, Joe Talamo); Trigger Warning (post 9, Irwin Rosendo), who just missed to Axelrod in Indiana;  and locally based First Mondays (post 1, Frankie Pennington).

Complete article soon at DRF.com.