Shotgun Hottie wore down Search Results and held of Le Da Vida (CHI) in the July 22 Molly Pitcher S. (G3) at Monmouth Park to give the 4-year-old Gun Runner filly a well-earned victory.
The bay filly had a pair of listed wins and three graded placings prior to Saturday’s breakthrough win. After a tardy start, Shotgun Hottie was tucked behind a compact field for the first half-mile. With no choice but to go wide a half-mile from the wire, she was in the four path entering the final turn. She hit the top of the stretch on even terms with Search Results, who began to give way with a sixteenth to run. Le Da Vida closed late but was a half-length back at the finish.
The final time for the 1 1/16-miles was 1:43.43 on a fast track.
Shotgun Hottie, owned by Omar Aldabbagh and Jeff Ganje, improved her record to 5-4-2 in 15 starts and boosted her career earnings to $770,607.
“She ran so well in her last start here,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said of the filly’s 5 ½-length win in the June 10 Lady’s Secret S. “She stayed here and I have to give a great amount of credit to (trainer) Dan Ward and his team because they’ve kept her since she ran here the first time and helped me (with) training her. And (I’m) just so pleased for her and her owners.”
Ganje purchased Shotgun Hottie for $45,000 at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Bred in Kentucky by Vincent Colbert, Shotgun Hottie is the first stakes winner produced from the unraced Malibu Moon mare Re Entry. Her newest foals include a 2-year-old Palace Malice filly named Hurricane Hottie and a yearling Echo Town colt.
