Idiomatic has no problem with Spinster Stakes, gains Breeders' Cup Distaff berth

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Idiomatic, an extremely tall horse, made short work of five rivals and easily won the Spinster Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland.

Idiomatic broke on top, set a modest pace, and never came close to being challenged while winning her second straight Grade 1 and fourth race in a row.

“It was pretty simple,” jockey Florent Geroux said. “Go straight to the lead, set a not-very-fast pace, and keep on going.”

Idiomatic won by 4 1/4 lengths over Le Da Vida in the $580,250 Spinster, running 1 1/8 miles over a fast dirt track in 1:49.82, just about standard for this October fixture. The raw time produced a Beyer Speed Figure of 99, in line with the filly’s recent performances. Le Da Vida had 2 1/4 lengths on Bellamore, who was 4 1/2 lengths better than Nest, a flat fourth as the 4-5 favorite.

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“No excuse, no excuse,” was all jockey Irad Ortiz would say about Nest’s performance. Nest’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, wasn’t at Keeneland on Sunday. Champion 3-year-old filly of 2022, Nest never came close to reaching contention and failed to respond to Ortiz’s encouragement.

Idiomatic ($4.12) needed little encouragement, Geroux gearing her down the final 100 yards after glancing at the large screen on the toteboard and seeing nobody near him.

It was a first Spinster win for trainer Brad Cox and the second for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, who sponsors the Spinster.

Four-year-old Idiomatic is by Curlin and is the first foal to race out of Lockdown, a First Defence mare who finished third in the 2017 Kentucky Oaks. Idiomatic herself ran on Kentucky Oaks Day in 2022, finishing third in a first-level allowance race after winning her debut in April. A “setback,” as Cox called it, kept Idiomatic from racing again until December. Just as well; this gigantic filly needed ample time to grow into her frame.

“She’s the biggest horse in the barn,” said Cox, who measured Idiomatic at 17 hands 2. “She might be the biggest horse I’ve ever trained.”

Idiomatic wintered at Turfway Park and made four starts over the Tapeta surface there, each one better than the last. Cox thought Idiomatic would handle dirt racing and put his theory to the test in the May 6 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park. Idiomatic finished a well-beaten second, but the Ruffian is a one-turn mile, Idiomatic is a true route horse.

“Once we got her back around two turns, she’s been really good,” Cox said.

Idiomatic stumbled badly at the start of the Delaware Handicap and had to race from behind, out of her comfort zone on the lead. She won anyway, went on to a wire-to-wire win in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga, and showed Sunday that victory over a sloppy track was no fluke.

Ignacio Correas, trainer of Le Da Vida, lauded the mare’s competitive spirit but rued her refusal to change leads in the homestretch.

“You can do that in listed races and get away with it, but not at this level,” Correas said.

The Spinster is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and the filly now has automatic fees-paid entry into the Distaff.

“She is such a big, tall, powerful filly, and when you have this kind of horse and the athleticism catches up to the physical, it’s almost impossible to compete” against them, Geroux said.

At the start of Idiomatic’s campaign, connections hoped just to get her on the right track and see where she’d take them. No one foresaw this kind of development. Idiomatic has held her form for months now. If she goes to Santa Anita the same horse she was Sunday, you’d have to think the massive filly has a big chance.

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