Idiomatic splashes to a frontrunning Personal Ensign triumph (NYRA/Coglianese)
Connections Pursuing Breeders’ Cup With Matareya
Verifying Could Target G1 Malibu as Year-End Goal
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Idiomatic was awarded a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for her dominant score in Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign, a nine-furlong test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, Idiomatic led at every point of call under Florent Geroux to draw off strongly in the lane to a four-length triumph in a final time of 1:49.12 over a sloppy and sealed main track. It was her third consecutive graded score and came on the heels of a determined head victory over Classy Edition in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 8 after a bobble at the start and a wide run into the stretch.
“She is doing well and has been since she came back from a layoff [in December],” said Cox. “When the draw came out, I thought based on what we saw on paper, she had a good shot to establish a nice, clear lead and obviously, she did. I didn’t think the mile and an eighth would be an issue because she had just run a mile and three-sixteenths and overcame a tough trip at Delaware. She has a lot of class and it’s a huge update for her pedigree and herself. She’s a serious filly.”
Cox said the daughter of Curlin could be pointed to the Grade 1 Spinster on October 8 at Keeneland, but that he will meet with her owners to make solid plans in the near future. Other potential races include the nine-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame on the same day at Belmont at the Big A.
“She’s got a nice little win streak going and she came back well,” said Cox. “We’ll talk with Prince Khalid and family and come up with a game plan, but I would say the Spinster is probably the top spot on the radar given the fact it’s a Grade 1 and Juddmonte sponsors the race. The Beldame would be ‘Plan B’ because there’s not a lot of options. Obviously, the Breeders’ Cup is the target to end the year, and we’ll need another race between now and then.”
On Saturday, Cox sent out two other trainees to on-the-board efforts in Grade 1s at the Spa, with Matareya finishing third in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap and Verifying placing second in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.
Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Matareya, a two-time Grade 1 winner, was a hard-trying third in the seven-furlong Ballerina behind the victorious 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu and the reigning Champion Female Sprinter Goodnight Olive. The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile tracked in third one length behind the pace and made a brief bid into upper stretch, but weakened and held on long enough to secure show honors by a nose over Caramel Swirl.
“She came back really good and I was very proud of the effort,” said Cox. “It was a good ride to save ground and she was beaten by two Champions, so no disgrace in the performance. I’m happy with the way she looks this morning. I’m not sure where she’ll land, so we’ll talk it over with the Godolphin team. We’ll pursue the Breeders’ Cup, but we’ll probably want one more race. She’s run well enough against these top fillies this year to be in the mix.”
Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s Grade 3 Indiana Derby victor Verifying finished second in the H. Allen Jerkens 1 3/4 lengths behind the late-running One in Vermillion after pacesetter New York Thunder fell in mid-stretch due to a catastrophic injury.
Cox said the somber race led to difficulty in taking away anything about Verifying’s first start around one turn since October.
“He looks great this morning, but I don’t really know what to say about the race at all,” said Cox. “He’s going to take some homework on what to do moving forward. I’m not really sure what to do with him. I do like what I saw from him around one turn though, and I like him at seven-eighths and a one-turn mile.”
Cox said it is likely Verifying could target the seven-furlong Grade 1 Malibu in December at Santa Anita Park as a year-end goal.
“We need to figure out something between now and then, but he came back in good order,” said Cox.
