At age 5, Idiomatic may not be quite the same mare she was last year but try telling that to the five others she trounced in Sunday’s $600,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on Sunday.
The defending champion older mare rolled to an easy 6 ½-length victory over Occult in the 1 1/8-mile Spinster, the race she won last year en route to her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita.
Idiomatic with Florent Geroux up winsthe Juddmonte Spinster for trainer Brad Cox and owner Juddmonte, 2024 Keeneland Fall Meet.
Idiomatic repeated in the Spinster and will attempt a second win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff
The win, which earned her a return trip to the Distaff on Nov. 2 at Del Mar, was so effortless it appeared to be little more than a workout, albeit an extremely lucrative one. The outcome was never in doubt for the bay daughter of Curlin, who completed the 9 furlongs in 1:49.04.
“It’s all up to her,” said regular rider Florent Geroux. “She has a ton of ability, and she is a champion for a reason. She has a very high cruising speed, and she just is a gifted racehorse.”
In 2023, Idiomatic won eight of nine races and earned just over $2.4 million, her lone loss coming when second in the Ruffian (G2) at Belmont Park. Her three starts prior to the Spinster were tough ones, with a head victory in the Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth Park sandwiched between a pair of narrow losses in the Personal Ensign and Ogden Phipps, both Grade 1s.
🏆 #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
“Her figures say she’s just as good this year as she was last year,” said trainer Brad Cox of the Juddmonte color-bearer. “She’s training every bit as good this year as last year. This year she’s had a little bit of a target on her back. She’s been pressed in some races, where maybe last year she kind of had things her own way … Every time we’ve led her over there, she’s never let us down, and she added to her resume today.”
The odds-on favorite, Idiomatic returned $2.64 to win and earned $367,350 to boost her bankroll to $3,944,190. Overall, she has won 12 of 17 lifetime starts with three seconds and two thirds.
Candied, who chased Idiomatic through fractions of 23.53, 47.01 and 1:11.10, finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Occult. Loved checked in fourth, followed by Honor D Lady and Bow Draw.
Minaret Station pulls 38-1 upset in Bourbon
In the other “Win and You’re In’’ race at Keeneland, Minaret Station swept past the leaders in deep stretch for a 1 ½-length victory in the $350,000 Bourbon Stakes (G2).
Trained by Will Walden, the 2-year-old Instilled Regard colt earned a fees-paid automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Dismissed at 38-1, the second longest shot in the field of 12 (Baytown Baracus was 137-1 – he finished last), Minaret Station returned a hefty $78.88 for a $2 win bet. Golden Afternoon was second at 11-1, creating a $1 exacta of $563.03.
“We know from the quarter pole to the wire, he always accelerates pretty good,’’ winning jockey Cristan Torres said. “He broke and I just let him sit wherever he wanted. He was comfortable under me the whole time. On the backside I tapped him on the shoulder when we passed about the five-eighths, and he went to the rail. At the quarter pole when I tapped him on the shoulder to pick it up, he picked it up very nice. I give a lot of credit to the horse. He was very professional today compared to his first two races.”
Winning time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.28 over a firm turf course.