Randomized, by a head bob.
Champion Idiomatic gave it all she had in the stretch, but a gutty effort by Randomized was enough to win by a head in a thrilling finish to the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) on Saturday at the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga undercard.
Randomized finally earned her first career Grade 1
Randomized ($14 for a $2 win bet), beaten a half-length by Idiomatic in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), turned the tables on her rival with a gate-to-wire performance. The 4-year-old filly was ridden by new Hall of Famer Joel Rosario.
Idiomatic, the 7-10 favorite, came into the race with a six-race winning streak, including Grade 1 wins in her four most recent starts.
Randomized, trained by Chad Brown, won the 2023 Alabama (G1) at Saratoga last summer and improved her record to 9-5-2-1 and earnings over $1.2 million.
Winning time for the 1 1/8 miles over a fast track was 1:49.58. Pretty Mischeivous was third, followed by Raging Sea, Soul of an Angel, and Tizzy in the Sky.
“These two were going at it in the Breeders’ Cup last year and we came out on the wrong side of that one,’’ Brown said. “Idiomatic is a deserving champion. She’s an outstanding horse. I think we were very fortunate to save more ground than her. She was pitched three-deep the whole way and still almost won the race. I’m taking nothing away from her. She ran an equally good race. We were able to just get our nose down. I’ve said, the photos go both ways, so I keep that in mind when I lose them.”
Brad Cox, who trains Idiomatic, looks forward to a rematch.
“She ran well and was the best horse. She lost a tremendous amount of ground around the first turn and second turn,’’ Cox said. “The winner didn’t really have any pace pressure. Excited about the rematch. Can’t wait.”
$350,000 Suburban Stakes: Crupi goes last-to-first
Crupi. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.
Crupi ($7.10) came through with a last-to-first rally in a perfectly timed ride by Irad Ortiz, Jr., and won by a half-length over 9-10 favorite Bendoog, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his third consecutive win in this race.
Last in the field of seven, Crupi was sixth with a quarter-mile to go, was taken four wide and overtook the field for the victory.
The 4-year-old chestnut colt ran a disappointing 10th in the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 20, but returned to winning form at the Spa.
“He’s been a little slower developer, but he’s starting to get things together,’’ Pletcher said. “He ran so poorly in Dubai it didn’t take anything out of him.”
The winning time for the 1 ¼ miles was 2:02.71.
Pletcher won the Surburban with Charge It in 2023 and Dynamic One in 2022.
“By the turn, I asked him to go forward, and he did, and he kept kicking in until the end,’’ Ortiz said. “He really stays. At the eighth-pole, I asked him a couple times and he kept coming; kept grinding.”
$350,000 Poker Stakes (G3): Casa Creed upset by 24-1 longshot
Brazil-bred Ice Chocolat ($50) pulled a huge upset of Spa favorite Casa Creed, taking the lead from the start and hanging tough for a one-length victory over Mysterious Night.
Trained by Mark Casse, the 6-year-old gelding posted his first graded stakes win in the United States and improved to 26-7-6-4. Jose Ortiz was aboard.
Casa Creed, the Fourstardave (G1) at the Spa the past two summers and the winner of the 2023 Kelso (G2) at the Spa, ran fifth most of the way and ended up fourth in the field of seven going a mile on the turf.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Jose. I don’t give instructions. I told him to just play the break and see what happens. He said he broke running and from there, catch me if you can,’’ Casse said.
$350,000 True North Stakes (G2): Baby Yoda rolls, Force not needed
Baby Yoda. NYRA/Coglianese Photo.
Baby Yoda pressed pace-setter Gun It and then drew off in the stretch for a six-length victory over Ninetyprcentmaddie in the first graded stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
The 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott ended a nice-racing losing streak in May with a win in an allowance optional claimer last month. The win was his first graded stakes win.
Baby Yoda ($20.40) was ridden by Eric Cancel and covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.62 over a fast track.
Baby Yoda improved to 9-4-4 in 25 starts for earnings of $837,220. Gun Pilot, the 7-10 favorite, finished third in the seven-horse field.
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.
