One of Breeders’ Cup’s biggest stars won’t defend title after being retired from racing
One of the main attractions in next weekend’s Breeders’ Cup has been retired from racing.
Idiomatic, the 5-year-old defending champion in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and winner of almost $4 million in career earnings, was retired from racing Friday, just two days after being pre-entered for the Nov. 1-2 world championships of thoroughbred racing at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in California.
Idiomatic, trained by Louisville-based Brad Cox, “was found to be lame this morning and an issue, that should heal readily, was identified in her left knee,” a statement released Friday by the mare’s owner, Juddmonte, read. “Unfortunately, it will rule her out of running in the Breeders’ Cup and it has been decided to retire her to stud.”
Idiomatic, ridden by Florent Geroux, won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff for fillies and mares aged 3 and older at Santa Anita Park by a half-length over Randomized.
That victory was part of a six-race winning streak for Idiomatic between June 2023 and May 2024 that included four Grade 1 triumphs.
Idiomatic, a daughter of Curlin, ran most recently in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6, beating a field of five others by 6½ lengths.
Idiomatic won five of her seven career Grade 1 races and 12 of her 17 events overall. In the five she didn’t win, she finished second in three and third in two.
In addition to the Distaff, her Grade 1 wins included the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland — both last year and this year — and the La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.
She also won one Grade 2 race and two Grade 3 events.
“Idiomatic was a model of consistency who elevated herself to Grade 1 level and stayed there for two exciting campaigns,” Juddmonte’s statement continued. “Her power, ability and honesty were exciting characteristics. This is the first time she has been sidelined which is a tribute to her soundness.”
Post positions and odds for the 41st Breeders’ Cup will be drawn Monday night at Del Mar. If not the favorite in the Distaff, Idiomatic figured to be among them.
That mantle probably now falls to trainer Kenny McPeek’s Thorpedo Anna or Chad Brown’s Raging Sea.
The Lexington-based McPeek won the 2024 Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna one day before capturing the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan.
Thorpedo Anna has won seven of her nine career races. Most recently, she captured the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on Sept. 21, almost a month after she ran second against colts in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
Raging Sea, like Idiomatic sired by Curlin, has seven wins from 12 career starts and enters the Breeders’ Cup on a three-race winning streak — the Grade 2 Shuvee and Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Beldame on Oct. 6 at Aqueduct.
Idiomatic was one four pre-entered horses in this year’s Breeders’ Cup who previously won events at the world championships. Fierceness, winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, has been pre-entered in the $7 million Classic. Rebel’s Romance will try again in the Turf after winning that race in 2022 at Keeneland. Last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, Big Evs, will race in this year’s Turf Sprint.
The 41st Breeders’ Cup, which totals $34 million in purses, will be televised or streamed nationally by NBC, USA, Peacock and FanDuel TV.
▪ Also Friday, 2023 Preakness winner National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert, was withdrawn from the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, in which he was expected to be among the favorites. National Treasure was battling foot problems, according to the Daily Racing Form.
Other horses to withdraw since pre-entries were announced include the following:
Dirt Mile: Fort Bragg;
Mile: Henry Longfellow, Mountain Bear, River Tiber;
Turf: Continuous, Illinois;
Turf Sprint: Aesop’s Fables;
Juvenile: Dapper Moon;
Juvenile Fillies Turf: Celandine, Bubbling;
Juvenile Turf Sprint: Celandine, Smoken Wicked;
Juvenile Turf: Monumental.
2024 Breeders’ Cup
What: World championships of thoroughbred horse racing, including 14 races over two days.
When: Nov. 1-2
Where: Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California
Breeders’ Cup schedule
All times Eastern
Friday, Nov. 1
Juvenile Turf Sprint: 5:45 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Juvenile Fillies: 6:25 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Juvenile Fillies Turf: 7:05 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Juvenile: 7:45 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Juvenile Turf: 8:25 p.m. (FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Saturday, Nov. 2
Filly and Mare Sprint: 3 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Turf Sprint: 3:41 p.m. (NBC, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Distaff: 4:21 p.m. (NBC, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Turf: 5:01 p.m. (NBC, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Classic: 5:41 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Filly and Mare Turf: 6:25 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Sprint: 7:05 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Mile: 7:45 p.m. (USA, FanDuel TV, Peacock)
Dirt Mile: 8:25 p.m. (FanDuel TV, Peacock)
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 4:17 PM.