Idiomatic Steals Personal Ensign on the Front End

There was a battle between Briland Farm’s Secret Oath and Nest owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House. It was for second, and 7-1 Secret Oath won that by a neck.

While many in the crowd were expecting an entertaining run from those that did not win, the superior effort turned in by Idiomatic had her connections beaming.

In the days leading up to the race, trainer Brad Cox had said his filly would have to step up as she had never faced the heavyweights of the division before. She had won her last race, the Delaware Handicap (G2) in a similar front-running style, but she had stumbled badly coming out of the gate.

Cox knew the start in the Personal Ensign was crucial. If she tripped out of the gate, at the Spa, Cox did not know if she could recover against the likes of this field.

He didn’t have to worry. Idiomatic and jockey Florent Geroux broke like champs and the game was on. 

“I felt a lot better at the start today than I did at the Delaware race,” Cox said. “This was huge. They are champions. They have accomplished so much and are still in good form.”

Nest won the Eclipse Award as the champion 3-year-old filly last year and had opened her 2023 campaign earlier in the meet with a 2 1/4-length victory over Clairiere in the Shuvee Stakes (G2). The 5-year-old mare Clairiere came in as a multiple grade 1 winner and the hard-knocking Secret Oath won the 2022 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Idiomatic, the 4-1 third choice in the wagering, proved she belonged as she dictated the race, cutting fractions of :24.53 for the first quarter and kept Malloy and jockey Dylan Davis at bay as she hit the half in :48.84 and six furlongs in 1:12.61.

At the top of the stretch, it looked as though Nest and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. were going to make a race of it as they began to advance and Secret Oath and Javier Castellano were moving from fourth while saving ground on the rail.

But Idiomatic was just getting started. Geroux got to work and the bay filly responded, spurting away to win the race easily.

“It was not going to be much pace, so I took advantage of it,” Geroux said. “Set some reasonable fractions and when she started picking up at the half-mile pole, I thought she was going to be extremely hard to catch.”

She won her last two starts on dirt; this was her first try on an off track.

With the win, Idiomatic vaults herself into the picture for champion older dirt female.

“She can compete with the best in the division,” Cox said. “This division is not decided; it’s wide open. I’m proud of her.”

Nest, the 3-5 favorite, lost for the first time in her career at Saratoga after three wins. No one in her camp was looking to make excuses. On this day, the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin just got beat by a better rival.

“It’s always great watching her win,” co-owner Mike Repole said as he stood outside the winner’s circle. “Nothing is never automatic. She is special. She ran hard.”