Idiomatic scoring the La Troienne (G1). (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
By Ashley Tamulonis
While Saturday’s main focus will be on the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, it, along with many of the other undercard races, are essentially auditions for November’s Breeders’ Cup World Championship. Idiomatic, who will contest the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, and White Abarrio, who will run in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, both won their respective divisions at last year’s Breeders’ Cup.
Named for the late Ogden Phipps, founder of famed Claiborne Farm and the breeder of nine champions of his own, the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Odds on favorite Idiomatic did not contest last year’s edition, won by Clairiere, but enters this year’s running on a 6-race winning streak. One of those races included the 2023 running of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign here at Saratoga, which she won easily by 4-lengths. She most recently bested fellow entrant Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 1 La Troienne on the Kentucky Oaks undercard and is a perfect 3-for-3 at the Ogden Phipps distance of 1 1/8-mile. Owned by Juddmonte Farms, the 5-year-old mare is trained by Brad Cox and will retain regular rider Florent Geroux.
While last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous is talented in her own right, Randomized looks to be the best bet in terms of trying to beat the heavy favorite. She lost to Idiomatic by just a half-length in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and ran a good second to Soul of an Angel in the Grade 2 Ruffian on the Kentucky Derby undercard off a six-month layoff. Over the past 5 years, trainer Chad Brown has won at an 18% clip with a 53% in the money rate with runners second off the layoff in graded stakes, per Race Lens. Owned by Klaravich Stables, Randomized will be ridden by Joel Rosario.
Of interest, Randomized and Idiomatic both have career high Equibase speed figures of 109.
Tizzy in the Sky, Soul of an Angel, and Raging Sea round out the six-horse field. The Ogden Phipps is the seventh race on the card with a post time of 2:36 p.m. EDT.
Last year, White Abarrio finished 3rd in the Met Mile, beaten by just 3 ½-lengths by eventual 2023 Horse of the Year and Champion Older Dirt Male Cody’s Wish. The son of Race Day didn’t have the cleanest of trips last year, stumbling at the start and then racing wide for most of the race. He turned it around in the Grade 1 Whitney right here at Saratoga in his very next start, romping to a 6 ¼-length victory with a career high 122 Equibase speed figure. He then won the Breeders’ Cup Classic to cap off his year.
Trained by Richard Dutrow, Jr., White Abarrio made his 2024 debut in the Group 1 Saudi Cup where he finished a disappointing 10th in the field of 14. Dutrow Jr. made no excuses for his previous shining star, simply stating that White Abarrio just didn’t have what it took to compete against that group of horses. While the white horse is perfect at Saratoga, he’s just 3: 1-0-2 at the mile distance.
Since Richard Dutrow, Jr. has returned to training after a 10-year suspension, his numbers have been astronomical. He’s been winning graded stakes at a 45% clip with an astounding 82% in the money rate. Likewise, he’s 26% with runners off a 2–6-month layoff with a 69% in the money rate, all per Race Lens. Dutrow, Jr. will give a leg up to Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has been aboard for White Abarrio’s last three races.
National Treasure is the second choice on the morning line, and while he did finish 4th in White Abarrio’s 10thin the Saudi Cup, the son of Quality Road hasn’t exactly been consistent. He’s 12: 3-2-2 lifetime and finished off the board in his only previous start at Saratoga. He is 2: 0-1-1 at the mile distance, including a heartbreaking nose loss to none other than Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year. Flavien Prat will be up for Bob Baffert.
The value play here is Blazing Sevens. He recently came back off an 8-month layoff and won a non-winners of two optional claimer. He prevailed by a length and earned a career-high 108 Equibase speed figure. The son of Good Magic is 3: 1-0-2 at Saratoga and a perfect 2-for-2 at the Met Mile distance, including the Grade 1 Champagne as a juvenile. The same layoff stats that applied to Randomized are also relevant here. Manny Franco has the call for Chad Brown.
Castle Chaos, Post Time, and Hoist the Gold complete the 6-horse field. The Met Mile is the 10th race on the card with a post time of 4:52 p.m. EDT.
