Saratoga has not been kind to the leaders of the 3-year-old filly division. While Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) and Acorn Stakes (USA-G1) winner Pretty Mischievous remains the pro tem star of her class, her luster was diminished by the outcome of the Test Stakes (USA-G1), in which she inherited the win following the tragic breakdown of clear leader Maple Leaf Mel. Wet Paint, who ran fourth at Churchill Downs after sweeping through Oaklawn Park’s series of Oaks preps, regained some of her stature by winning the Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1), but on August 19, she missed her chance at the top spot among sophomore misses when lightly raced Randomized, previously unplaced behind Pretty Mischievous in the Acorn, went gate to wire in the Alabama Stakes Presented by Keeneland Sales (USA-G1).
Like Wet Paint, Randomized had previously won a stakes race during the Saratoga meeting, but her victory came in the restricted Winton Stakes at a flat mile on July 14. Nonetheless, the Winton was a fair warning of what Wet Paint might be facing, as Randomized used the same strategy that had gained her maiden victory at Aqueduct and went for the lead immediately. In the Alabama, Randomized was able to settle into a strong cruising speed early, forcing Wet Paint to play catch-up. Although the final quarter was run in an uninspiring :25.90, Wet Paint was unable to find the finishing kick to cut into Randomized’s margin, leaving the Klaravich Stables filly with a visually impressive win.
Whether Randomized is capable of staying a mile and a quarter when she does not get things her own way is a moot point, and one that will not be determined this year as there are no further tests in the 3-year-old filly division over that distance. As a daughter of 2016 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (USA-G1) winner Nyquist, there was certainly reason to think even before the race that she might be able to stay out the Alabama distance. Nonetheless, her female family does raise some questions as to how long a trip Randomized really wants if she cannot grab an easy lead.
Randomized is from the family of Tiy, which has made previous appearances in “Mares on Monday” via 2019 Fourstardave Stakes (USA-G1) heroine Get Stormy (“Tiy’s Family Storms to New Heights,” August 12, 2019) and 2020 Lecomte Stakes (USA-G3) winner Enforceable (“Rising Star for a Rising Family,” January 20, 2020); Tiy’s family is also responsible for 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (USA-G1) winner Sharing. This is a family that has tended toward sprinters and milers, although it has shown some flexibility when its members have been put to staying sires. As a sire, Nyquist has an average winning distance of 7.14 furlongs and an average maximum winning distance of 7.34 furlongs, indicating that his progeny are showing somewhat more staying ability than average in the American population, but most of his runners appear to be most effective at about a mile.
French Passport, the dam of Randomized, contributes to an ambiguous picture of Randomized’s true distance proclivities. She never raced but is a half sister to Ohio Derby (USA-G2) winner Smooth Air (by Smooth Jazz) and 2011 Sanford Stakes (USA-G2) winner Overdriven. Sired by Elusive Quality—himself an extremely fast miler but sire of a couple of top mile-and-a-quarter horses in Smarty Jones and Raven’s Pass—she has produced one other winner, the Shackleford filly Prarie Dress, who scored her only win over a half-mile. Randomized’s 2021 half brother by Justify, Marginal Cost, has yet to run, and French Passport has since produced a 2022 filly by Frosted and a 2023 filly by Maxfield.
French Passport was produced by the winner Air France, who was never tried beyond sprint distances; Air France’s sire, French Deputy, scored his biggest win in the one-mile Jerome Handicap (USA-G2). The next dam in the tail-female line, Twin Propeller, was sired by the miler Known Fact and scored both her stakes successes in sprints, also the metier of her Grade 2-winning half sister Penny’s Reshoot (by Turkey Shoot) and her stakes-winning half brother by Strike Gold, Daimon. Of the four stakes winners produced by Ahpo Hel (Mr. Leader x Tiy), only Hope Rises (by Mr. Greeley) took down a stakes win at more than a mile, winning the 2004 Santa Lucia Handicap over 8.5 furlongs.
Randomized is unlikely to face any longer test than the 9 furlongs of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1) during the remainder of the season, and based on what she has shown so far, her success there may be less dependent on staying ability and more on her ability to make effective use of her preferred front-running style. Still, she is an interesting new face in the 3-year-old filly division, and the fall races are likely to tell the story as to whether she earns a championship or sees the crown go to one of the stars of the spring.
Like Wet Paint, Randomized had previously won a stakes race during the Saratoga meeting, but her victory came in the restricted Winton Stakes at a flat mile on July 14. Nonetheless, the Winton was a fair warning of what Wet Paint might be facing, as Randomized used the same strategy that had gained her maiden victory at Aqueduct and went for the lead immediately. In the Alabama, Randomized was able to settle into a strong cruising speed early, forcing Wet Paint to play catch-up. Although the final quarter was run in an uninspiring :25.90, Wet Paint was unable to find the finishing kick to cut into Randomized’s margin, leaving the Klaravich Stables filly with a visually impressive win.
Whether Randomized is capable of staying a mile and a quarter when she does not get things her own way is a moot point, and one that will not be determined this year as there are no further tests in the 3-year-old filly division over that distance. As a daughter of 2016 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (USA-G1) winner Nyquist, there was certainly reason to think even before the race that she might be able to stay out the Alabama distance. Nonetheless, her female family does raise some questions as to how long a trip Randomized really wants if she cannot grab an easy lead.
Randomized is from the family of Tiy, which has made previous appearances in “Mares on Monday” via 2019 Fourstardave Stakes (USA-G1) heroine Get Stormy (“Tiy’s Family Storms to New Heights,” August 12, 2019) and 2020 Lecomte Stakes (USA-G3) winner Enforceable (“Rising Star for a Rising Family,” January 20, 2020); Tiy’s family is also responsible for 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (USA-G1) winner Sharing. This is a family that has tended toward sprinters and milers, although it has shown some flexibility when its members have been put to staying sires. As a sire, Nyquist has an average winning distance of 7.14 furlongs and an average maximum winning distance of 7.34 furlongs, indicating that his progeny are showing somewhat more staying ability than average in the American population, but most of his runners appear to be most effective at about a mile.
French Passport, the dam of Randomized, contributes to an ambiguous picture of Randomized’s true distance proclivities. She never raced but is a half sister to Ohio Derby (USA-G2) winner Smooth Air (by Smooth Jazz) and 2011 Sanford Stakes (USA-G2) winner Overdriven. Sired by Elusive Quality—himself an extremely fast miler but sire of a couple of top mile-and-a-quarter horses in Smarty Jones and Raven’s Pass—she has produced one other winner, the Shackleford filly Prarie Dress, who scored her only win over a half-mile. Randomized’s 2021 half brother by Justify, Marginal Cost, has yet to run, and French Passport has since produced a 2022 filly by Frosted and a 2023 filly by Maxfield.
French Passport was produced by the winner Air France, who was never tried beyond sprint distances; Air France’s sire, French Deputy, scored his biggest win in the one-mile Jerome Handicap (USA-G2). The next dam in the tail-female line, Twin Propeller, was sired by the miler Known Fact and scored both her stakes successes in sprints, also the metier of her Grade 2-winning half sister Penny’s Reshoot (by Turkey Shoot) and her stakes-winning half brother by Strike Gold, Daimon. Of the four stakes winners produced by Ahpo Hel (Mr. Leader x Tiy), only Hope Rises (by Mr. Greeley) took down a stakes win at more than a mile, winning the 2004 Santa Lucia Handicap over 8.5 furlongs.
Randomized is unlikely to face any longer test than the 9 furlongs of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1) during the remainder of the season, and based on what she has shown so far, her success there may be less dependent on staying ability and more on her ability to make effective use of her preferred front-running style. Still, she is an interesting new face in the 3-year-old filly division, and the fall races are likely to tell the story as to whether she earns a championship or sees the crown go to one of the stars of the spring.
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