On July 8, Curlin’s 4-year-old daughter Idiomatic lived up to her billing as the 2-5 favorite as she pulled out the biggest win of her career in the Delaware Handicap (USA-G2). Benefiting from a patient ride from Florent Geroux after she stumbled at the start, the Brad Cox trainee worked her way forward along the backstretch before engaging front-running second choice Classy Edition on the far turn. From there it was a battle to the finish, with Idiomatic outgaming her determined opponent to claim the victory by a head. The win was the fourth-generation Juddmonte homebred’s sixth from nine starts and raised her lifetime bankroll to $774,490.
Idiomatic traces her female descent to one of the most important matriarchs of the 20th century, 1982 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Best in Show, through that matron’s 1977 Sir Ivor daughter, Monroe. A full sister to 1975 Irish champion 2-year-old male Malinowski, Monroe was a nice race mare in her own right, winning the 1980 Ballyogan Stakes (IRE-G3) and running second in the 1979 Gallaghouse Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1).
One of the persisting characteristics of Best in Show’s line has been the prolific production of many of its members—an important consideration with any broodmare, as a mare that conceives readily, gives birth easily, and rears her foals well without overtaxing herself gives herself more opportunities to come up with something good than a mare with fewer representatives. Monroe combined quantity with quality: of her 18 named foals, 17 started, 14 won, and four were stakes winners; three more of her winners were stakes-placed. Her best was her final stakes winner, 1997 European champion 2-year-old male Xaar (by Zafonic), but she already had a commendable record prior to his birth, having produced French Group 3 winners Masterclass (by The Minstrel) and Diese (by Diesis), as well as Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner Ile de Jinsky (by Ile de Bourbon), Group 2-placed Esquire (by High Line), and Group 3-placed Didicoy (by Danzig). The last-named mare was a good producer in her own right, producing 1995 Dahlia Handicap (USA-G2) winner Didina (by Nashwan) and listed stakes winners Espionage (by Zafonic) and Star Cluster (by Observatory), and Monroe’s produce prior to Xaar also included stakes producers Danthonia, Victoriana, and Stardom.
Silver Star, a 1996 full sister to Xaar, was Monroe’s last black-type runner, running third in the listed Prix Coronation in France as a 3-year-old. She produced 10 winners from 15 named foals, but only one was a stakes winner, 2018 Buckhounds Stakes (ENG-L) winner Barsanti (by Champs Elysees). More importantly, she has two stakes-producing daughters. The younger, Bird Flown (by Oasis Dream), is the dam of 2019 Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1) and 2020 Irish Two Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) winner Siskin (by First Defence). The elder is Rising Tornado (by Storm Cat), whose first foal was 2014 American champion older female Close Hatches (by First Defence), dam in turn of multiple Grade 2 winner Tacitus (by Tapit). Rising Tornado is also the dam of Close Hatches’ full sister Lockdown. A Grade 1-placed stakes winner, Lockdown produced Idiomatic as her first foal.
Rising Tornado is probably at or close to the end of her producing career, having slipped foal in three of the last four years (her youngest foal is a 2022 colt by Tapit), and Lockdown died after producing a 2022 filly by Into Mischief; her only other foal is the unraced 2020 Medaglia d’Oro filly Abditory. All five of Rising Tornado’s other daughters have produced at least one filly, however, a good omen for the continuation of the family, and Idiomatic has done more than enough to ensure herself a place in the Juddmonte broodmare band when the time comes for her to leave the track. Given the performance she put up on Saturday, racing fans can be forgiven for hoping that time is not too soon.
Idiomatic traces her female descent to one of the most important matriarchs of the 20th century, 1982 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Best in Show, through that matron’s 1977 Sir Ivor daughter, Monroe. A full sister to 1975 Irish champion 2-year-old male Malinowski, Monroe was a nice race mare in her own right, winning the 1980 Ballyogan Stakes (IRE-G3) and running second in the 1979 Gallaghouse Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1).
One of the persisting characteristics of Best in Show’s line has been the prolific production of many of its members—an important consideration with any broodmare, as a mare that conceives readily, gives birth easily, and rears her foals well without overtaxing herself gives herself more opportunities to come up with something good than a mare with fewer representatives. Monroe combined quantity with quality: of her 18 named foals, 17 started, 14 won, and four were stakes winners; three more of her winners were stakes-placed. Her best was her final stakes winner, 1997 European champion 2-year-old male Xaar (by Zafonic), but she already had a commendable record prior to his birth, having produced French Group 3 winners Masterclass (by The Minstrel) and Diese (by Diesis), as well as Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner Ile de Jinsky (by Ile de Bourbon), Group 2-placed Esquire (by High Line), and Group 3-placed Didicoy (by Danzig). The last-named mare was a good producer in her own right, producing 1995 Dahlia Handicap (USA-G2) winner Didina (by Nashwan) and listed stakes winners Espionage (by Zafonic) and Star Cluster (by Observatory), and Monroe’s produce prior to Xaar also included stakes producers Danthonia, Victoriana, and Stardom.
Silver Star, a 1996 full sister to Xaar, was Monroe’s last black-type runner, running third in the listed Prix Coronation in France as a 3-year-old. She produced 10 winners from 15 named foals, but only one was a stakes winner, 2018 Buckhounds Stakes (ENG-L) winner Barsanti (by Champs Elysees). More importantly, she has two stakes-producing daughters. The younger, Bird Flown (by Oasis Dream), is the dam of 2019 Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1) and 2020 Irish Two Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) winner Siskin (by First Defence). The elder is Rising Tornado (by Storm Cat), whose first foal was 2014 American champion older female Close Hatches (by First Defence), dam in turn of multiple Grade 2 winner Tacitus (by Tapit). Rising Tornado is also the dam of Close Hatches’ full sister Lockdown. A Grade 1-placed stakes winner, Lockdown produced Idiomatic as her first foal.
Rising Tornado is probably at or close to the end of her producing career, having slipped foal in three of the last four years (her youngest foal is a 2022 colt by Tapit), and Lockdown died after producing a 2022 filly by Into Mischief; her only other foal is the unraced 2020 Medaglia d’Oro filly Abditory. All five of Rising Tornado’s other daughters have produced at least one filly, however, a good omen for the continuation of the family, and Idiomatic has done more than enough to ensure herself a place in the Juddmonte broodmare band when the time comes for her to leave the track. Given the performance she put up on Saturday, racing fans can be forgiven for hoping that time is not too soon.
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