Idiomatic One of Three Fillies Entering Distaff on Roll

Fans and connections will not want to blink at the start of this year's $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park as three of the top contenders each bring impressive win streaks and front-running styles to the 1 1/8-mile test.

Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic  has registered four straight wins including back-to-back grade 1 scores in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course and the Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 8 at Keeneland. The 4-year-old daughter of Curlin   scored by at least four lengths in each of her latest triumphs, leading every step in each.

Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor  enters off a five-race win streak that has included a score in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) Aug. 5 at Del Mar. That top-level victory also happens to be the only race in which the 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo   has trailed at any point of call during her win streak.

And from this year's 3-year-old ranks, Klaravich Stables' Randomized  enters after rolling to three straight front-running victories, including a four-length score in the Alabama Stakes (G1) Aug. 19 at Saratoga. The daughter of Nyquist   enters off a 3 3/4-length score in the Beldame Stakes (G2) where she faced older horses in a stakes for the first time in that test at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Perhaps one of the early runners will have their way or perhaps the Distaff will set up for Godolphin homebred standout sophomore Pretty Mischievous , who has registered three grade 1 wins this season at distances of seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. That score at the Distaff distance was recorded in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5 at Churchill Downs when the daughter of multiple leading sire Into Mischief   rallied from fifth to prevail by a neck.

Also figuring to be moving well late is Stonestreet Stables homebred Clairiere , who has added two more grade 1 victories this season after finishing third—but just a head behind winner Malathaat  in last year's three-way photo finish in the Distaff at Keeneland.

In short, it's the kind of field one would expect in the Distaff.

The towering Idiomatic, who at 17.2 hands is the tallest horse in trainer Brad Cox's barn, figures to garner attention as the fillies and mares enter the paddock before the Distaff. She's also drawn plenty of attention on the track in a busy 2023 campaign that has seen her win seven of eight races.

Cox, who has two Distaff wins via Monomoy Girl  in 2018 and 2020 to his credit, watched Idiomatic win three races on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park to start the season before sending her to the dirt for the Ruffian Stakes (G2) May 6 at Belmont Park. While Idiomatic finished second that day to Pass the Champagne , Cox saw enough to believe she'd do well on the dirt. Idiomatic has not lost since, claiming four straight graded stakes, including her back-to-back top-level scores.

"This year she's been spot-on; she hasn't missed a beat," Cox said. "We're very excited about what she's accomplished this year and hopefully we can have her ready."

Cox said when the season started in the Turfway cold, he had no expectations that Idiomatic would reach these levels but he's been thrilled to see her steady move forward throughout the season.

"She's a grade 1 winner; she's really good," Cox said.

Cox plans to start a trio of grade 1 winners in the Distaff as he also has entered Haruya Yoshida's A Mo Reay  and Godolphin homebred Wet Paint . 

A Mo Reay picked up a win on the Santa Anita surface earlier this year when the 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo won the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) in March. She'll enter off a runner-up finish to Randomized in the Beldame, where she hurt her chances early when stumbling at the start. Deep closer Wet Paint will make her first start since finishing second in the Alabama Stakes, an effort that followed her grade 1 breakthrough in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) in July at Saratoga.

The Distaff has been the rare grade 1 dirt race to elude Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, but he'll have a big shot this year with Adare Manor. She drew off to a 5 1/4-length score in her most recent start, the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) Oct. 1 on the Santa Anita dirt.

After the Zenyatta win, Baffert said they were using that race as a final gauge before fully committing to the Breeders' Cup. Adare Manor has bounced out of that win at 1 1/16 miles with a return maintenance breeze Oct. 15 followed by a bullet five-furlong move in :59 Oct. 22 at Santa Anita.

Also looking for his first Distaff win is trainer Chad Brown, who has entered Randomized and Search Results , who also is campaigned by Klaravich Stables. Search Results, a 5-year-old Flatter  mare, is a grade 1 winner who just missed winning the 2021 Kentucky Oaks (G1). She showed improved form in her most recent start, a front-running 3 1/4-length score in the Locust Grove Stakes (G3) Sept. 16 at Churchill.

Trainer Brendan Walsh will be looking for his first Breeders' Cup win overall when he saddles Pretty Mischievous in the Distaff. Pretty Mischievous is Walsh's first three-time grade 1 winner after she reeled off victories in this year's Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes (G1), and Test Stakes (G1). She enters off a runner-up finish to Ceiling Crusher  in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 23 at Parx Racing.

Steve Asmussen saddled Untapable  to a Distaff victory in 2014 at Santa Anita and this year the trainer will send out Clairiere, who enters off a fifth-place finish in the Personal Ensign. Her aforementioned grade 1 wins this season were posted in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in April at Oaklawn Park and the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) in June at Belmont.