Despite last-out loss, Idiomatic towers over Molly Pitcher field

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Nobody seems to know who the Revolutionary War figure Molly Pitcher actually was. In fact, nobody seems to know if a single woman came to be known in legend as Molly Pitcher. As for the stakes race Saturday at Monmouth Park bearing the name of that person, or non-person, everybody knows who’s winning.

Idiomatic was champion older female of 2023, and while she comes to Monmouth following a surprise defeat last month at Saratoga, Idiomatic could give the Molly Pitcher opposition a half-furlong head start and still race competitively.

Seven older fillies and mares were entered in the Molly Pitcher, a 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 with a Grade 1-level purse, $500,000. No more than six will run, with Misty Veil, who might have been second choice here, headed instead to the Shuvee Stakes, a Grade 2 worth $200,000 on Sunday at Saratoga. Just Katherine, who’d be no worse than third choice in the Molly Pitcher, also was entered in the Shuvee, her connections on Thursday still weighing their options.

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That leaves Soul of an Angel as the likely Molly Pitcher second choice, and Idiomatic beat her nearly six lengths in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 8, while taking meaningful ground loss both turns, as Soul of an Angel stuck to the rail.

Idiomatic, the 7-10 Phipps favorite, did not beat Randomized, who set a dawdling pace and held on by a head over hard-charging Idiomatic. Idiomatic, a 5-year-old Juddmonte Farms homebred by Curlin, kicked off her campaign with an easy win in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill, and she lost the Phipps during the race’s early and middle stages. As Randomized came out running and took the lead, Idiomatic and Florent Geroux broke flat-footed, winding up four wide not just on the first turn but also the second. She gained steadily on Randomized but could not catch her.

“Just circumstances,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She was the best horse in the race. She’s going to run great Saturday.”

The irony of the Phipps defeat: It has often been Idiomatic galloping her foes into submission. Cox said the mare also didn’t act perfectly in the gate before the La Troienne.

“She broke a half-step slow both times, just got a little antsy in there,” he said. “We’ve worked with her in the gate a little since the last race, and she’s been more settled.”

Kathleen O., Frosty O Toole, and Soul of an Angel won’t be able to keep Idiomatic from controlling the pace of the race. Miles of Smiles has a touch of route speed. She also raced in a $25,000 conditioned claimer just three starts ago.

Soul of an Angel two races back, in her first start for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., closed strongly and won the Ruffian by nearly five lengths over Randomized. That was a one-turn mile with a strong pace. The Molly Pitcher shapes much differently. Out on the Monmouth battlefield, they’ll be raising the white flag when Idiomatic attacks.

– additional reporting by David Grening

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