By Jill Williams
Loose on the lead and identified as a rabbit for fellow Klaravich Stables runner and Chad Brown stablemate McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Seth Klarman's Idea Generation (Ire) (f, 4, Dubawi {Ire}–Knocknagree {Ire}), by Galileo {Ire}) stole Saturday's GII Flower Bowl Stakes at the Spa, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The longest shot on the board at 31-1, Idea Generation put them all to sleep while surprising everyone to notch her first career black-type win. MGISW and 6-5 favorite War Like Goddess (English Channel), who won the Flower Bowl when it was still a Grade I in 2021 and was second in 2022, rallied late for second as GISW McKulick finished third.
Swift out of the Flower Bowl gate, Idea Generation already had 5 1/2 lengths on the field by the :26.08 first quarter and easily maintained a half-dozen length distance at the :51.92 half. She led the field on a merry chase over a yielding course in the rain with Florent Geroux high in the saddle like he was out for morning exercise instead of in an afternoon race. Idea Generation kept going as last year's Flower Bowl winner Parnac (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) chased and War Like Goddess found herself bottled up on the rail while second from last. Little had changed by the 1:43.58 mile mark. Although rivals were visually closing the gap, Idea Generation's ears were pricked on the turn as she kept the motor running and Geroux got busy. Despite War Like Goddess swinging out to unfurl a brave late and wide run, she was simply left with too much to do and couldn't catch Idea Generation while clearly second best. McKulick held third by a head.
Idea Generation, purchased for 340,000gns by Mike Ryan at the 2021 Tattersalls October yearling sale, was second to McKulick in her lone graded try in last fall's GIII Waya Stakes. Winner of just one previous race–an Aqueduct maiden special weight in 2022–her only other 2024 start was a fifth in a July 25 allowance over course and distance.
Brown, who was winning the Flower Bowl for the eighth time, said after the race, “My instructions in the paddock were the same that day when she ran second at Aqueduct last fall: 'you're here to set the pace, but you're also here to win. Try to do both. Honest pace–she enjoys running along freely, but if you think you can win the race, by all means, try to win the race.' He did it. He was clear. He was setting an honest pace, but he used good judgment to try and win the race for himself, too. That's what I do with my speed horses.”
Bill Mott, trainer of War Like Goddess, had some good-natured ribbing for Brown. “When [War Like Goddess] got out, she ran by McKulick, she ran by everybody. She was getting to the winner. Chad's just smarter than the rest of us, everybody took back off of her. There were three horses that could have laid close and nobody laid close to her.”
Brown followed with a laugh, “It was going to benefit him, too. His horse wants pace and soft ground. I appreciate the compliment–I put [a speed horse] in, so he didn't have to. He could have contributed half the entry fee.”
Pedigree Notes:
Dalham Hall Stud's Dubawi (Ire), one of the world's most preeminent sires, stands for £350,000 and has sired champions on multiple continents among his mind-boggling 284 black-type winners and 186 graded winners. Idea Generation is his first Flower Bowl winner, but certainly not his first Saratoga winner, as his In Italian (GB) won the GI Diana Stakes in 2022 and his Quidura (GB) won the GII Ballston Spa Stakes in 2018, among others.
The Dubawi/Galileo (Ire) cross Idea Generation is bred on is also well established, as more than 30 of Dubawi's stakes performers are directly out of Galileo mares. Galileo has 346 black-type winners out of his daughters.
Idea Generation's dam is a half-sister to Irish G1SW Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and two other Group winners. The mare's most recent produce includes a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) and an Apr. 18-foaled colt by New Bay (GB). Both of those stallions are sons of Dubawi.
IDEA GENERATION is going to the @BreedersCup! She wins the Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes in a huge upset at 31-1 with @flothejock aboard for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/m9oWrw7Vri
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 31, 2024
Saturday, Saratoga
FLOWER BOWL S.-GII, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-31, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 3/8mT, 2:18.97, yl.
1–IDEA GENERATION (IRE), 118, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Knocknagree (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tyranny (GB), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Dust Dancer (GB), by Suave Dancer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (340,000gns
Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Epona Bloodstock
Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Florent Geroux. $275,000.
Lifetime Record: 7-2-2-0, $395,150. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–War Like Goddess, 120, m, 7, English Channel–Misty North,
by North Light (Ire). ($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg
'18 KEESEP; $30,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian;
B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-William I. Mott. $100,000.
3–McKulick (GB), 122, m, 5, Frankel (GB)–Astrelle (Ire),
by Makfi (GB). (180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown.
$60,000.
Margins: 1HF, 2, HD. Odds: 31.25, 1.30, 2.15.
Also Ran: Eternal Hope (Ire), Verbier (Ire), Millie Girl, Parnac (Fr). Scratched: Amanda's Folly, La Mehana (Fr), Movie Moxy, Neecie Marie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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