By Steve Sherack
Last year's champion older female and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Idiomatic (Curlin), sportingly put back in training for a 5-year-old campaign, could potentially kick off her season in the GI La Troienne S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard May 3.
The Juddmonte homebred posted her third workout of 2024 for trainer Brad Cox at Fair Grounds Thursday morning, stopping the clock for four furlongs in :49 (17/43).
“For starters, (the late Juddmonte founder) Prince Khalid (bin Abdullah) was never afraid to run horses, colts or fillies,” Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said.
“He did it with Frankel and he did it with Enable. You look at a lot of our really great horses over here, the Sightseeks and all of those types, as well. If you are enjoying them number one and they're being productive, there's every reason to go on with them.”
O'Rourke continued, “All options were open when we decided to bring her back after the Breeders' Cup. We just turned her out for 60 days and she grew some hair and let down. Then we started legging her back up again (at Juddmonte) and sent her back to Brad. He says she's doing super, no hiccups, touch wood so far. Coming back, the timing of it, obviously you've got the (GI) Apple Blossom (H. at Oaklawn Park Apr. 13) or something like that, but I think that will essentially come too soon for her. More than likely it will be the La Troienne on Oaks day.”
Unraced at two, Idiomatic had just a Turfway Park maiden win to show for from three starts at three. The big mare put it all together and won a remarkable eight of nine starts last season, capping a five-race winning streak at the Championships at Santa Anita. A finalist for Horse of the Year, her brilliant 2023 campaign also included wins in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, the GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga and the GII Delaware H. Idiomatic currently boasts a career record of 12-9-1-2 and earnings of $2,456,840.
“We did all of the right things with her,” O'Rourke said. “Huge, big mare as everyone knows. Wasn't any sense in rushing her. We actually turned her out until April of her 2-year-old year and let her grow up a little bit and brought her along slowly. She ran early the next year, needed some time off afterwards, and got all the time and I think all that patience worked to her advantage. She had a tough year last year and got the time off she deserved. She's still relatively fresh and the type of build of a racehorse that should get better with age. Hopefully, she'll continue to do so.”
One of three Breeders' Cup winners for the mighty Curlin last year, Idiomatic is the first foal out of the stakes winner and 2017 GI Kentucky Oaks third-place finisher Lockdown (First Defence), a full-sister to Juddmonte's champion Close Hatches.
She's all class! #4 IDIOMATIC ($5.60) pressed the early pace and held off a slew of late challengers to win the GI #BreedersCup Distaff!
This is the fifth consecutive graded victory for the @JuddmonteFarms homebred, who was ridden by @flothejock for @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/EBtACoSnoO
— TVG (@TVG) November 4, 2023
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