After having her perfect record snapped in the first start of the 2020 season, British Idiom will look to kick off a new winning streak May 1 when she takes on 13 competitors in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park.
“She’s doing really, really good,” said bloodstock agent Liz Crow, who helped purchase the filly as a yearling for the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and The Elkstone Group. “Obviously with everything going on with the coronavirus, it wasn’t our plan to run in the Fantasy. We were hoping to run in the (Central Bank) Ashland (Stakes, G1) which would have been the first weekend of April. So she’s been ready to go for over a month now.
“As you know with horse racing, some horses can get over the top, over-trained, and you worry about them not peaking at the right time. It seems like she’s doing really, really well, and that doesn’t seem to be a concern with her.”
A 3-year-old daughter of Flashback, British Idiom broke her maiden on debut in August at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Brad Cox and quickly established herself as one of the most competitive runners in her division. Her subsequent wins in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park helped her clinch the title for champion 2-year-old filly of 2019.
In her Feb. 15 season debut at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, British Idiom finished second in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2), 4 3/4 lengths behind Finite. The loss was disappointing, but Crow said it was not entirely unexpected coming off more than a three-month layoff.
The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy Stakes offers points toward the Sept. 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) in increments of 100-40-20-10 to the first four finishers. British Idiom is seventh on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 50 points.
“Brad didn’t really have her fully cranked for the Rachel, so that loss wasn’t super surprising with Finite having a little more fitness,” Crow said. “I expect to see her a little tighter for this race, and I think we’re excited to see what she can do.”
British Idiom will leave from post 10 under Javier Castellano.
Also joining the Fantasy fray from the Cox barn is Shedaresthedevil, who picked up her first stakes victory March 7 in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Owned by Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited, and Big Aut Farms, the Daredevil filly also boasts 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. She will leave from post 7 under Joel Rosario.
Hoping to cement her spot on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard is Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver, who finished third in the Rachel Alexandra. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the talented Daredevil filly became the leading Oaks hopeful March 28 when she took the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at Gulfstream Park in gate-to-wire fashion.
The Gulfstream Park Oaks was the first stakes win for Swiss Skydiver, adding 100 Oaks points on top of the existing 10 earned for her Rachel Alexandra performance. She ranks first on the leaderboard.
Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the call from post 3.
Hall of Famer Bill Mott will send out a pair of runners in Lake Avenue and Harvey’s Lil Goil, who will break from posts 4 and 5, respectively.
A winner of the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at 2, Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue enters off a third in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. The daughter of Tapit has earned 35 qualifying points and ranks 11th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.
Racing for the Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman, Harvey’s Lil Goil has yet to test her mettle in graded company but in her sophomore debut won the Busanda Stakes Feb. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
– Article courtesy of the BloodHorse
