When the Cotillion Stakes earned Grade 1 status for 2012, Parx Racing boosted the purse from $750,000 to $1 million, but the race for 3-year-old fillies attracted just four entries, leaving many disappointed. Until the race – which was considered one of the best in its 42-year history.

Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly My Miss Aurelia remained undefeated in six starts after a stretch duel and head victory over favorite Questing (GB), the division leader coming in after scores in the Coaching Club American Oaks-G1 and Alabama Stakes-G1.

At year’s end, Questing got the edge for the Eclipse Award by four votes, 106-102.

• Groupie Doll, a 4-year-old daughter of former Maryland stallion Bowman’s Band, ranked as the nation’s top female sprinter after winning the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters, her third graded sprint win in a row following Grade 1 scores in the Vinery Madison at Keeneland and Churchill Downs’ Humana Distaff in May, the latter in track record time. She dominated in the Thoroughbred Club of America-G2 at Keeneland next out.
  
  Groupie Doll followed with her first of two Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint-G1 victories and was named champion female sprinter. She came back the next year to win a second Masters and second Eclipse Award.
  
• Memories came flooding back after the death of the oldest winner of a Triple Crown race, Preakness winner Deputed Testamony, at age 32. He lived his whole life in Harford County – born on one Bonita Farm in Creswell, standing at stud and passing away on another in Darlington. In between, he lived a magical life. His achievements included the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park and a track record (which still stands) in his final start, the City of Baltimore Stakes at 11⁄16 miles on Preakness Day at Pimlico in 1984. His 21 stakes winners included graded winners Gold Fleece, Testafly and Under Oath.
  
  “He was a kind horse, a good horse to work around, a good horse to breed, a good horse to have, a horse that gave as much as he possibly could,” said his trainer and co-breeder Billy Boniface.
  
  
• Audley Farm sold a Smart Strike half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Bodemeister for $1.3 million to a partnership of John Sikura and Bruce Lansford at the Keeneland September yearling sale. The Virginia-bred was out of Untouched Talent, by Storm Cat.
  
  
  Named Fascinating, the filly placed in two Grade 1 stakes at 2 and won a maiden race at 3 for Bodemeister’s trainer Bob Baffert.