When the dust settled at the end of the 36th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, two horses with Pennsylvania connections crossed the wire first in their respective races. British Idiom, sired by Pennsylvania stallion, Flashback, and Parx local Spun to Run reigned victorious in each of their Breeders’ Cup races.
In the first dirt race of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup, British Idiom went off as the second choice in a field of nine for the Juvenile Fillies. Sitting in seventh in the early stages, the 2-year-old daughter of Flashback dropped as far as 6 lengths back on a track that was often referred to as “speed favoring” throughout the two day championship event. Rallying around the final turn, British Idiom and jockey Javier Castellano picked off rivals one by one before collaring the favored Donna Veloce at the top of the stretch.
In one of the best stretch duels of the Breeders’ Cup, British Idiom and Donna Veloce battled nose to nose for the entirety of the Santa Anita stretch, with British Idiom getting the advantage in the final 1/16th of a mile and crossing the wire a neck in front of her foe. In winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, British Idiom brought her career tally to 3-for-3, with additional wins in a Saratoga maiden race and the G1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland. The victory likely guarantees British Idiom as the winner of the Eclipse Award Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 2019. As champion 2yo filly, she will be the early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks.
She is sired by Diamond B Farm’s Flashback. Flashback is a son of leading sire Tapit and took up residence at Diamond B in Mohrsville, PA for the 2019 breeding season. In terms of earnings, he is currently ranked third in Pennsylvania, sixth in the Mid-Atlantic and eighth overall second crop sire in America. His 2020 stud fee is yet to be announced.
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Spun to Run had never won a race away from Parx. Being sent off as the 9-1 fourth betting choice in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Spun to Run hustled straight to the lead, opening daylight on his competitors while setting fractions of 23.05 for the opening quarter and 46.51 for the opening half. He never looked back. Charging into the stretch with a 2 ½ length lead, Spun to Run held sway under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to post the 2 ¾ length upset victory over the late charging race favorite, Omaha Beach. Spun to Run recorded his fifth win in his eighth start of 2019. The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile was his third stakes win alongside the Smarty Jones Stakes and M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile.
Spun to Run is trained by Parx regular Juan Carlos Guerrero. He gave Guerrero the first graded stakes victory of his career when winning the G3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx in September. The trainer showered Spun to Run in kisses when he arrived back at the Breeders’ Cup winner’s circle.
Guerrero was overcome with emotion during the trophy presentation. “When I got this horse, I just saw that he could be something special,” he said through tears. “It’s been rough getting here, but he just made it look easy. I’m really, really blessed to have him. It’s a dream come true.”
Owner Robert Donaldson, who purchased Spun to Run for $64,000 at the Fasig Tipton Midlantic 2 Year Old Sale, was also filled with emotion. “This is our first Grade 1 and it means so much. Carlos has done such an incredible job with this horse. This one is for the little guys,” he said.
Spun To Run will be making his next start in the $750,000 Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct in December.
We hope for the best for British Idiom and Spun to Run in the future and look forward to seeing what else they are able to accomplish in 2020!
