British Idiom (March 23, 2017 – October 1, 2021) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Alcibiades Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2019, earning the title of Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for the year.
| British Idiom | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Flashback |
| Grandsire | Tapit |
| Dam | Rose and Shine |
| Damsire | Mr. Sekiguchi |
| Sex | Filly |
| Foaled | 23 March 2017 |
| Died | 1 October 2021 (aged 4) |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton, Silver Fern Farm |
| Owner | Michael Dubb, Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables, Bethlehem Stables |
| Trainer | Brad H. Cox |
| Record | 5: 3-1-0 |
| Earnings | $1,442,139[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Alcibiades Stakes (2019) Breeders' Cup wins: | |
| Awards | |
| American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (2019) | |
| Last updated on 11 October 2023 | |
Background
editBritish Idiom is a chestnut filly who was bred in Kentucky by Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm.[1] She is the first graded stakes winner for her sire Flashback, a stakes-winning son of leading sire Tapit. Her dam Rose and Shine was a stakes winner in Canada.[2]
British Idiom was sold for $40,000 at the Fasig-Tipton 2018 Yearling Sale. Her new owners, Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, sent her into training with Brad Cox.[1] The same partnership campaigned Monomoy Girl, the champion three-year-old filly of 2018.[3]
Stuart Grant, one of her co-owners, said her name was inspired by some British friends of his. "Who doesn't love a great British Idiom?" he said.[4]
Racing career
editBritish Idiom made her first start on August 15, 2019, at Saratoga in a maiden special weight race for horses that had been sold for $45,000 or less. She challenged the early pace and then edged away during the stretch to win by 3+1⁄2 lengths.[5]
She made her stakes debut in the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland on October 4. She rated in third behind the early pace set by Spitefulness while racing four wide, then made her move on the far turn. She drew away in the stretch for a 6+1⁄2 length victory.[2]
That win earned her an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, held on November 1 at Santa Anita Park. She broke slowly and was bumped as the horses entered the first turn. She then settled while saving ground on the rail down the backstretch. On the far turn, she shifted to the outside and started closing ground. She gradually made up ground on Donna Veloce, and the two battled for the final furlong with British Idiom prevailing by a neck.[6]
"It was pretty rough in the first turn," said jockey Javier Castellano. "That was not the idea. The idea was a clear trip and stalking a little bit early. Unfortunately, that's the way it developed into the first turn. I took it from there and was very patient and confident because I had the best horse in the race. That's what she proved in the last part of the running."[3]
According to Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form, the win will "undoubtedly" make British Idiom the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 2019.[4]
Retirement
editAfter finishing unplaced in the 2020 Fantasy Stakes, it was revealed that British Idiom had sustained an injury to her right-front ankle. She was sold to Northern Farm in Japan to commence her broodmare career.[7]
It was reported in early 2022 that British Idiom had died at Northern Farm on the 1 October 2021. No cause of death was mentioned however she was in foal at the time to Japanese stallion Duramente.[8]
Statistics
edit| Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time |
Winning (Losing) Margin |
Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 – Two-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Aug 15, 2019 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Saratoga | 3.50* | 10 | 1 | 1:10.01 | 3+1⁄2 lengths | Javier Castellano | [5] | |
| Oct 4, 2019 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Alcibiades Stakes | I | Keeneland | 3.60 | 11 | 1 | 1:45.80 | 6+1⁄2 lengths | Javier Castellano | [9] |
| Nov 1, 2019 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | I | Santa Anita | 2.70 | 9 | 1 | 1:47.07 | neck | Javier Castellano | [6] |
| 2020 – Three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Feb 15, 2020 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Rachel Alexandra Stakes | II | Fair Grounds | 0.90* | 7 | 2 | 1:43.97 | (4+3⁄4 lengths) | Javier Castellano | [10] |
| May 1, 2020 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Fantasy Stakes | III | Oaklawn Park | 4.20 | 14 | 10 | 1:42.00 | (19 lengths) | Javier Castellano | [11] |
An asterisk after the odds means British Idiom was the post-time favorite.
Pedigree
edit| Sire Flashback 2010 |
Tapit 2001 |
Pulpit | A.P. Indy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preach | |||
| Tap Your Heels | Unbridled | ||
| Ruby Slippers | |||
| Rhumb Line 2000 |
Mr. Greeley | Gone West | |
| Long Legend | |||
| Rose Rhapsody | Pleasant Colony | ||
| Rosy Spectre | |||
| Dam Rose and Shine 2009 |
Mr. Sekiguchi 2003 |
Storm Cat | Storm Bird |
| Terlingua | |||
| Welcome Surprise | Seeking the Gold | ||
| Weekend Surprise | |||
| Yellowenglishrose 1996 |
Colonial Affair | Pleasant Colony | |
| Snuggle | |||
| Princess Baja | Conquistador Cielo | ||
| Miss Baja (family: 23-b)[12] |
British Idiom is inbred 4 × 4 to Pleasant Colony, meaning this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of her pedigree.
References
edit- ^ a b c "Profile of British Idiom". Equibase. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ a b "British Idiom Soars Clear in Alcibiades". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Flashback Filly Gets Up in Juvenile Fillies". Thoroughbred Daily News. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ a b "British Idiom wins stretch battle with Donna Veloce to take Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies". www.drf.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Chart for August 15, 2019, race 2 at Saratoga". Equibase. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Chart of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies". Equibase. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Champion British Idiom sold to Northern Farm in Japan". paulickreport.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ "Champion British Idiob dies in Japan". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ "Chart for the Alcibiades Stakes". Equibase. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "2020 Rachel Alexandra Stakes presented by Fasig-Tipton (Grade II – race 11)". Equibase. 15 February 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "2020 Fantasy Stakes (Grade III – race 9)". Equibase. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Turk Mare - Family 23-b". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2 November 2019.