British Idiom Breezes With Eye Toward February Return

Undefeated British Idiom, expected to be named Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly, returned to the work tab Dec. 29 for the first time since her neck victory in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park. 

Trained by Brad Cox, the daughter of Flashback  breezed three furlongs on the dirt at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, completing the move in :37 3/5. 

"She's doing great," said bloodstock agent Liz Crow, who was instrumental in purchasing the filly for a mere $40,000 from the Warrendale Sales' consignment to last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. "We gave her a little time off post-Breeders' Cup, but she never left Brad's care. She tack-walked for a little bit and then got back to galloping. That was obviously her first breeze back."

Owned in partnership by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables, British Idiom broke her maiden Aug. 15 at Saratoga Race Course by 3 1/2 lengths before stepping up in a big way next out to win the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. The victory earned the filly an automatic berth in the Juvenile Fillies where she managed to sustain her winning streak in a thrilling stretch duel with Donna Veloce. 

"The plan right now is probably the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) in February," said Crow, who, along with Cox, was part of the team behind 2018 champion 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl. "That's not necessarily set in stone but that's probably the race that we will target for her. The plan leaving the Breeders' Cup was the Rachel Alexandra—that's what we did with Monomoy Girl. The long stretch at Fair Grounds I think she should probably like. I think the distance will be her friend. She seems to be able to go all day and I look forward to continue seeing her run two turns." 

As for Monomoy Girl, who was absent from racing in 2019 after a bout of colic along with subsequent issues, Crow said the soon to be 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar  is feeling healthy and light on her feet and hopes are high that 2020 will see her triumphant return. 

"Monomoy Girl is at Paul Sharp's farm," Crow said. "She's galloping and very forward in her training. We're just trying to keep her feet on the ground right now. She's supposed to leave Jan. 15 to go back to Brad. Honestly, she could go now. She's been ready to go but we figured that would be exactly 60 days of training on the farm and that would be the best thing to do before she went back to Brad. 

"She didn't get a lot of time off from pulling a hamstring so it's not like she lost much fitness. We're not going to push her or set a schedule of races that we're pointing toward or anything, we just want to get her back and hopefully we can do that. In 2020, if all we can do is get her back to the races, then I will be very happy."

Keeping it all in the family, Monomoy Girl's Palace Malice  half brother, Mr. Monomoy—also trained by Cox—will look to step up in company next out in hopes that he can earn his way into the spring classics. Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Doheny Racing Stable, Mr. Monomoy scored his maiden win Nov. 16 on second asking at Churchill Downs and followed that effort with a game second in a Dec. 21 allowance-optional claiming race at Fair Grounds where he was defeated by a head. 

"Mr. Monomoy came out of his race good. We will probably look at a stakes next and try him in a little deeper company and see how he does," Crow said. "I don't think he had any excuses in that last race. He just got beat and that happens. I think he had a good trip but we will see if he's a graded stakes level horse when we try him in some of these early (Kentucky) Derby (Presented by Woodford Reserve, G1) prep races probably down at Fair Grounds too. There is no reason to ship him out of there."