Idiomatic Takes Shawnee In Gate-To-Wire Romp

Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic, returning from her runner-up finish last month in the Ruffian (G2) at Belmont, controlled the pace from the gate and was never threatened en route to victory Saturday in the $225,000 Shawnee (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old Curlin filly scored by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths over over Sixtythreecaliber while earning her first graded stakes victory. She  finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.13 on a fast track.

Frost Point, last of seven in early running, was up for third, another 1 1/4 lengths back.

With Florent Geroux riding for trainer Brad Cox, Idiomatic laid down fractions of :23.82 for the opening quarter mile, :47:87 for the half, and 1:11.81 for six furlongs. The mile went in 1:35.95 as the winner opened at two-length advantage in early stretch and then coasted across the finish line for her fifth triumph from eight career starts.

The Shawnee marked the fourth victory from five outings this season for Idiomatic, who won the Latonia going 1 1/16 miles at March 25 in her stakes debut Turfway Park prior to the Ruffian.

Kentucky-bred Idomatic ($6.40) is out of the multiple Grade 1-placed First Defence mare Lockdown, who is a full sister to 2014 champion older female Close Hatches.

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Collected’s Kalik Wires Pennine Ridge

Robert LaPenta, e Five Thoroughbred Racing and Madaket Stables' Kalik (Collected) took control of Saturday's GII Pennine Ridge S. in the first sixteenth of a mile, was beautifully rated from the front by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and had enough in the tank to hold off 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel) and Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the stepping-stone to the GI Belmont Derby in five weeks' time. In so doing, he was becoming the second graded stakes winner in the space of 15 days for his Airdrie Stud-based sire (by City Zip) after Taxed caused an 11-1 surprise in the GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. on Preakness weekend.

“On paper, he [Kalik] was lone speed,” said trainer Chad Brown, winning the race for the third time. “He's a class horse with a lot of quality to him. We thought on paper that if he could get out there and control the race, he would at least have a final say.”

Sometimes things go exactly according to script. Kalik won the break and headed off his rivals prior to the first corner, covering the opening couple of furlongs in :24.69 and the half in a hassle-free and the half in an equally comfortable :49.17. Going along nicely within himself on the second turn, Kalik kicked over onto his right lead with about a furlong and a half to race and proved not for catching. Far Bridge was under heavy urging three furlongs out and at one point was more or less the back marker, but jumped back into the bridle and weaved his way through to just beat Silver Knott out of second.

Well-beaten on his main-track debut at Aqueduct in September, Kalik perked up with a runner-up effort going two turns on the grass down the Cross Island Oct. 23 and headed south for the winter. The $80,000 FTKNOV weanling turned $200,000 KEESEP yearling validated even-money support on his return St. Patrick's Day at Gulfstream and made it two straight with an all-the-way allowance score over a mile and sixteenth of this course May 7.

“The horse really just blossomed over the winter,” Brown continued. “He put a bunch of weight on and he matured. He was like an immature teenager last year. He always trained well, but he was just a stick figure kind of horse. Now he's filled out and turned into a real man.”

While the July 8 Belmont Derby is an obvious near-team objective, Ontario-bred Kalik could pay a visit to the Great White North over the coming months.

“In the summertime, if he stays healthy, I'm really interested in the [Aug. 20 C$1-million] King's Plate,” Brown said. “It's a race we've never won and it's an interesting idea for this horse down the road.”

Pedigree Notes:

Kalik's dam is a daughter of the talented multiple graded winner Sara Louise, whose Grade III-winning half-sister Just Louise (Five Star Day) produced two-time GSW and GISP Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah). After foaling a Hard Spun filly in 2022, Coronation Street was offered pregnant to Collected at last summer's Fasig-Tipton Selected Horses of All Ages Sale, but was bought back when bidding stalled out at $11,000. She produced a full-sister to Kalik this past Mar. 25.

Kalik and Taxed are the bookends of a seriously productive couple of weeks for Collected. Two days after the Black-Eyed Susan, Conclude took the Desert Code S. on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, while Playground Legend won her maiden at Monmouth May 28 and Royal Velvet and second-crop colt Gewurztraminer graduated at Pimlico and Churchill, respectively, on May 29. Collected was also represented by his first Japanese winner when the Shadai-bred Collectanea broke through Saturday at Tokyo.

Saturday, Belmont
PENNINE RIDGE S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont, 6-3, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.85, fm.
1–KALIK, 118, c, 3, by Collected
1st Dam: Coronation Street, by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sara Louise, by Malibu Moon
3rd Dam: Kings Lynn, by Mt. Livermore
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($80,000
Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $200,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Robert V.
LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Madaket Stables
LLC; B-Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests, LLC & Anderson Farms
(Ontario) (ON); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $110,000.
Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $224,675. *1/2 to Bringer of Rain
(Twirling Candy), GSP, $116,910. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Far Bridge, 118, c, 3, English Channel–Fitpitcher, by Kitten's
Joy. 'TDN Rising Star'. O-LSU Stables; B-Calumet Farm (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Silver Knott (GB), 120, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–God Given
(GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). (725,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT).
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-Charles
Appleby. $24,000.
Margins: 1, HD, 2. Odds: 2.95, 1.75, 1.55.
Also Ran: Lachaise, Freedom Trail, Congruent, Belouni (Fr). Scratched: Sharar.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Observations: Son of Moonlight Cloud Debuts on Jockey Club Undercard

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's insights features the unveiling of Hantano (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), son of MG1SW Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

13.35 Chantilly, Debutantes, €50,000, 2yo, c/g, 5 1/2fT
HANTANO (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a fascinating runner in this intriguing and valuable juvenile opener to the Prix du Jockey Club fixture, being a son of George Strawbridge's remarkable six-times group 1 winner Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Yet to produce a black-type performer, he is in the charge of Victoria Head and encounters The Aga Khan's Shadizi (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a Francis-Henri Graffard-trained half-brother to the multiple group-placed Shahnaza (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}).

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Gunite Denies Bango Record-Tying Win In Aristides

Favorite Bango, bidding to tie the all-time win mark at Churchill Downs, took charge entering the stretch and appeared en route to victory until Gunite wore him down with a sustained rally in the final furlong and drove clear to capture the $225,000 Aristides on Saturday.

A 10-time winner Bango at the Louisville track for trainer Greg Foley, Bango held on for second, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner, who covered six furlongs in 1:08.46 on a fast track. Tejano Twist was third after rallying from last in the compact field of five.

Gunite was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who was scoring his second stakes win of the day following his victory aboard Mission of Joy in the $200,000 Regret (G3) one race earlier on the card.

A 4-year Gun Runner colt, Gunite began 2023 with a victory in the King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn prior to his runner-up effort in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) in Saudi Arabia and his narrow third-place effort in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 25 at Meydan Racecourse in his start prior to Saturday's victory. Overall, he improved his career line to 8-5-2 from 17 starts and increased his lifetime earnings to $1,749,509.

Gunite ($3.80) is trained by Steve Asmussen for owner-breeder Winchell Thoroughbreds. His dam is the Cowboy Cal mare Simple Surprise.

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