Champion Idiomatic shines on season debut in La Troienne
Louisville, Ky.
Brad Cox was hoping Idiomatic would get to the lead in Friday’s Grade 1, $1 million La Troienne Stakes on Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Oaks card. After a tough start that saw her acting up in the gate, the 5-year-old Curlin mare had to take a different route.
“We found ourself tracking the outside horse from the inside position,” Cox said after the race. “It’s not ideal.”
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Instead, 12-1 long shot Dorth Vader got to the front off the start of the 1 1/16-mile trek over a sloppy track for fillies and mares ages 4 and up. The track was a mess, but the first two fractions were quick, going in 23.53 and 47.00 seconds.
When the horses reached the far turn, Idiomatic made her move. She got out front, but it appeared she’d face a strong challenge from defending Oaks winner and fellow Eclipse Award winner Pretty Mischievous.
Instead, the mare who went off as the 4-5 favorite in the five-horse field, dug in. She held off any challenge, cruising to a 3 3/4-length victory under jockey Florent Géroux.
She went the first three-quarters in 1:10.90 and the mile in 1:36.51. The winning time was 1:43.24.
It was Idiomatic’s first race since November, when she won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. The romp to victory at Churchill impressed her trainer.
“She seems to be every bit as good as she was last year,” Cox said of the defending champion older dirt female. “We never really know. There’s times where these mares when they get a little bit older, might not be as good, but I think she’s set up for a big year.”
As for what’s next, Cox said he didn’t have a plan set in stone yet. He’d talk to Juddmonte Farms, the mare’s owner, about her next race.
Cox was asked whether he’d run her against males at some point, and he said it was possible though not likely in the next start. He acknowledged that if he wanted a chance for Idiomatic to win horse of the year, he’d likely need to do that.
“I would say so,” Cox said. “I think she kind of showed that last year that you kind at some point need to face the best in another division with regards to the girls. But we’ll determine if she’s up for that.”
Free Like a Girl ran second. Pretty Mischievous, who was last year’s champion 3-year-old filly, was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Dorth Vader came in fourth, and Xigera finished a very distant last. Idiomatic paid $3.66 for the win.