Breeders' Cup Distaff win for Idiomatic

Idiomatic capped a stellar season with her third Grade 1 win with a hard-fought victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 5th November 2023, by Jill Williams:

Idiomatic, who has had a stellar year with eight wins from nine starts, has almost certainly sewn up the Eclipse Award as older female and put herself squarely in the middle of Horse of the Year consideration as well with the win.

"I think she definitely deserves some votes for Horse of the Year," said trainer Brad Cox. "It's a serious record. It's Horse of the Year, not horse of the fall, horse of the summer, horse of the spring, or horse of the Breeders' Cup. She has had a tremendous year from start to finish. Today was just icing on the cake."

Idiomatic kicked off 2023 with two optional allowance wins at Turfway Park, followed by her first blacktype win in the Listed Latonia Stakes in March. While it's safe to say Idiomatic is the first Breeders' Cup winner to come out of that race, it would catapult Idiomatic to Graded company. After a runner-up finish, her only 2023 loss, in the Gr.2 Ruffian Stakes, Cox teamed her up with Florent Geroux. The two have never lost in their five consecutive pairings, all Graded stakes, and have hit triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures every time. Those five straight included both the Gr.1 Spinster Stakes, sponsored by her owner and breeder, and Gr.1 Personal Ensign Stakes in her last two starts.

Geroux reflected on the year immediately following the Distaff: "Her prior victories have been very easy for her, but this one she had to earn it. She showed how great she was, and she deserved to be the champion just because of how much fight she showed today and how much heart. Sometimes that's what makes the difference between good horses and great horses, and I think she's one of the greats for sure."