Idiomatic to miss Breeders’ Cup Distaff, retired from racing
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Idiomatic, the champion older dirt female of 2023, was retired on Friday after being diagnosed with lameness in her left knee, an injury that will prevent her from starting in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Idiomatic was expected to be favored in the BC Distaff. With her absence, a field of 11 is expected, with the brilliant 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna now listed as the 7-5 early line favorite by Daily Racing Form.
Idiomatic, 5, won nine stakes for Juddmonte Farm and trainer Brad Cox.
The best known of those wins came in the BC Distaff at Santa Anita last November, a race in which she was always near the front and won by a half-length after a stretch-long duel.
Understandably, Cox rates the BC Distaff as one of the top performances of Idiomatic’s three-year career.
“I think the Breeders’ Cup was on a demanding track last year and for her to stay on and beat that field, that was probably the highlight,” Cox said in an interview on Friday morning. “It was an amazing group of fillies and mares.”
Cox saw his share of amazing from Idiomatic through her career, which began with a three-length win in a maiden race on the synthetic track at Turfway Park in April 2022.
Idiomatic, by Curlin, ran on the synthetic track at Turfway Park in five of her first six starts, including a win in the Latonia Stakes in March 2023. After finishing second in the Grade 2 Ruffian Handicap on dirt at Belmont Park in May 2023, Idiomatic won the Grade 3 Shawnee Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Churchill Downs in June 2023 by 2 1/4 lengths.
Idiomatic led throughout the Shawnee, pulling clear through the stretch. From Cox’s perspective, the win showed she could perform at the highest level on that surface.
“She kind of showed what we saw,” Cox said. “She was an incredible workhorse through her career.
“I always felt like she would run on dirt even though we started her on synthetic. I don’t know of a horse in the world would have beaten her that day.”
Over the next 16 months, only two horses beat Idiomatic, both at Saratoga earlier this year and only by a head in each race. Idiomatic was second to Randomized in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes in June and second to Raging Sea in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes in August.
Idiomatic won her other three starts this year – the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill in May, the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park in July, and a stellar victory by 6 1/2 lengths in her final start in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6, a race sponsored by Juddmonte.
Idiomatic won 12 of 17 starts and earned $3,944,190. She is a leading candidate for the 2024 Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding older female.
“She was very consistent,” Cox said. “She always showed up, a champion, maybe a dual champion, we’ll see how things go.
“She owes us nothing,” Cox said of the mare’s retirement. “It’s a tough day, but it’s an easy decision to make.”
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