By J.N. Campbell
Friday is shaping up to be quite a stakes-laden slate as the rescheduled King's Plate card from last weekend at Woodbine joins the GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga and a pair of pricey Grade IIs from Charles Town.
TDN's full coverage of the races that were forced to move because of a deluge in Toronto can be found in Patrycja Szpyra's preview, plus a piece on the King's Plate by Bill Finley.
As for the Spa feature, it boasts a set of intriguing match-ups between four of the runners from early June's GI Ogden Phipps Stakes.
In Saratoga Springs that afternoon it was gate-to-wire winner Randomized (Nyquist) who bested 70 cents on the dollar favorite Idiomatic (Curlin) by a head, while Raging Sea (Curlin) finished fourth and Soul of an Angel (Atreides) checked in fifth.
Out of the bunch, the 4-year-old Randomized is the only one to take a couple months off and drill for the Personal Ensign. Trainer Chad Brown did something similar last year after she captured by four lengths the GI Alabama Stakes and then was not seen until the GII Beldame Stakes during the Belmont at the Big meet in early October–she won by 3 3/4 lengths.
“She's [Randomized] not a very big horse, but she's fast and she likes to go to the lead and carry her speed,” Brown said. “The Alabama [Stakes] is a really special race to win, and she's come back and carried her form into age four winning the Phipps. A really special horse for us, and she's got a lot of heart.”
Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic, who won the Personal Ensign last year, will look to rebound against her rival. Trained by Brad Cox, the Eclipse winner barely held off Soul of an Angel in the GIII Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth July 20.
Idiomatic | Sarah Andrew
“She's very talented,” said Cox. “She's able to get into a race and use her big stride and set a solid enough pace to run them off their feet going into the far turn. She doesn't necessarily have to be on the lead. She tracked Randomized in the Breeders' Cup last year; we'll see if we can get a good trip on Friday.”
Speaking of Soul of an Angel, the experienced Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee is not without a strong stakes win, which she posted in the GII Ruffian Stakes at the Big A in early May.
“She ran huge last time against a Champion,” Joseph said. “Now, we go an extra sixteenth–we still don't know if that's what she wants or not, but we'll give it a shot again. If she can run similar to last time, I think she'll have a big chance. It's a stellar group.”
As for Brown's other entry, Raging Sea is a 4-year-old filly who took home the GII Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga July 21. The Alpha Delta homebred has three graded stakes wins to her credit, but she is still looking for her first top level win.
“She's going to have to step up,” Brown said. “She's been knocking on the door, and she just hasn't won a Grade I yet. This is a really tough race against proven, Grade I-winning mares, so she's going to have to step up and break through. But, she likes Saratoga and she's coming off her career-best race, so there's a chance she could do it.”
Last but certainly not least, Xigera (Nyquist) makes her first appearance upstate since her days of running there on the grass. Certainly the 4-year-old's current season has not gone as well as 2023 did, but rest assured the combination of Philip Bauer and Rigney Racing deserve respect. Maybe the change of scenery from Louisville will help her flip the script? Whoever wins the Personal Ensign will have earned it.
But we are not done yet, night owls. On Friday evening, Charles Town puts on their GII Oaks where 'TDN Rising Star' Impel (Quality Road) is seeking her first graded prize. In the bookend GII Charles Town Classic, the often-overlooked Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will try to repeat from a year ago when he won by five lengths.
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