Juddmonte homebred champion mare Idiomatic returned to her winning ways at Keeneland Oct. 6, submitting an eye-catching 6 1/2-length romp in the $600,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) as her final act before her title defense in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 2.
"She's such an admirable mare," said Juddmonte general manager Garrett O'Rourke of the victory that capped a banner day for the international operation as another homebred, Bluestocking, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp.
🏆 #1 IDIOMATIC ($2.64) repeats in the $600,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) at @Keeneland, guaranteeing herself a spot in the @BreedersCup Distaff. @flothejock was aboard the @JuddmonteFarms homebred for trainer @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/27otG7F5U9
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 6, 2024
Hustled from her rail position by regular rider Florent Geroux, the front-running 5-year-old Curlin mare asserted herself through honest fractions of :23.53, :47.01, and 1:11.10.
Geroux kept his mare relaxed on the far turn despite the advances of Candied and Loved at the 5/16th pole.
"I was a little concerned, they were running at her," trainer Brad Cox admitted after the race. "She kept her big stride going and once again was able to finish up. (Geroux has) rode her plenty of times and knows when to ask her."
That moment came at the quarter pole when Geroux unleashed her power. Idiomatic drew away inside the final furlong to best her win margin in last year's Spinster by 2 1/4 lengths. She also bested her final time by 0.78 seconds, completing the 1 1/8 miles this year in 1:49.04.
Occult improved on her mid-pack position to finish second while Candied, the field's lone 3-year-old, settled for third.
The impressive victory was a good sign for the champion mare after a trio of hard-fought battles in her past three starts, coming up a head short in grade 1 company twice in that span.
"I think if those head losses were wins, she'd be in contention for Horse of the Year," Cox said. "Overall, it's been a good year. She's still a multiple grade 1 winner at the age of 5."
The pair of head losses in the Ogden Phipps (G1) and Personal Ensign (G1) also kept her from earning an automatic berth to the Distaff, a problem now rectified by winning a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race in the Spinster.
Cox said Idiomatic will return to his Churchill Downs base and have a few maintenance works ahead of the race and ship to Del Mar race week.
The Distaff will hold a highly anticipated matchup against expected champion 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna. Cox said he felt like Idiomatic has been lost in the shuffle by some due to Thorpedo Anna's headline-catching season and that he looks forward to the matchup.
"(Thorpedo Anna) is very good, it should be an exciting race," Cox said. "We're in a good position going to the Breeders' Cup off a win. Looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge."
O'Rourke echoed Cox's excitement about the matchup.
"I think (racing against Thorpedo Anna) will create a great amount of interest," he said. "It's more fun to the day, the fans, and it proves something of the work the horses are doing. It's going to be exciting."
The Distaff also gives Idiomatic a chance to avenge her Personal Ensign defeat to Raging Sea, who won the Beldame Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack Sunday. Their results will likely determine the Eclipse Award for champion older dirt female.
Idiomatic is out the stakes-winning First Defence mare Lockdown, who placed in the 2017 Kentucky Oaks (G1), Cotillion (G1), Gazelle (G2) and Mother Goose (G2) stakes. Idiomatic's second grade 1 of the season is the fifth this year for her sire, Curlin, who also is the sire of Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Highland Falls and Raging Sea. In addition to Idiomatic and Raging Sea's victories Sunday, Curlin's Zeitlos won the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Oct. 5.
Curlin stood the 2024 season at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Paris, Ky. for a fee of $250,000.
Now a 12-time winner from 17 starts, never missing the board, Idiomatic has earned $3,944,190. After earning her fifth grade 1 victory, O'Rourke took a moment to reflect on the naysayers she accumulated early on in her life when she was a "big, gangly backward-looking yearling."
"She does have a championship-caliber pedigree, but she didn't have the looks when she was young," O'Rourke said. "Every time a rider got on her back they said, 'Wow, this filly moves like a dream.' She just kept doing it. It's a tremendous satisfaction for a horse like that to prove all the experts who think they know where all the good horses come from. They can come from anywhere."
