The duel between champion Idiomatic and her rival Randomized was shaping up as expected in the $500,000 Personal Ensign at Saratoga Race Course on Friday. The pace was quick, though, and Randomized faded first in the stretch and Idiomatic looked like a winner.
But Raging Sea, who was more than 10 lengths behind the leaders early on, kept closing in down the stretch under Flavien Prat and edged 4-5 favorite Idiomatic by a head in a thrilling finish.
Idiomatic, trained by Brad Cox, topped Randomized, trained by Chad Brown, in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), but the tables were turned in the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Saratoga on June 8.
The third time looked like a two-horse race until 6-1 Raging Sea ($14.40) came rolling down the middle of the track and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.14.
Idiomatic, ridden by Florent Geroux, finished 10 ¼ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Soul of an Angel. Randomized was fourth and Xigera fifth.
Brown also trains Raging Sea and won the Personal Ensign for the first time. Idiomatic just missed winning the race for fillies and mares 4 and up a second year in a row.
“Raging Sea – it was her day today, and she ran down a real champion,’’ Brown said. “I’m just so proud of her, so happy for Mr. John Clay, who bred this horse and actually RNA’d her as a yearling. He believed in her, sent her in to us, and she’s really had a great career. Very rarely has she disappointed us.”
Raging Sea improved to 11-6-1-1 and boosted her earnings over $1 million.
The fast early fractions of 23.28 for the first quarter and 46.66 for a half mile, took a toll on the favorites, and Raging Sea took advantage.
“To be honest on the form, I knew I was going to make a run. I didn't know if they could hold me off or not,” Prat said. “It felt like [Idiomatic] was still going well from where I was, it was just a matter of if I could get there on time.”
Randomized beat Idiomatic by a head in the Ogden Phipps.
“I think she was the best horse again. That’s two starts here she did all the running. She ran a winning race,’’ Cox said. “Last time it was more of a trip, and this time it was more of a pace thing. But she ran well.”
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
