SARATOGA SPRINGS — The thrill of a horse race often comes down to the final head bob at the finish line, a moment that can feel as unpredictable as a coin toss.
However, during the Grade I Ogden Phipps on Saturday, Randomized and her jockey Joel Rosario had stacked the odds in their favor. They had positioned themselves perfectly to either win or lose the final bob against the country’s top older dirt female horse.
Throughout the race, Randomized and Idiomatic exchanged leads, but it was Randomized who managed to get her nose over the finish line first in a photo finish. This marked a triumphant return to Saratoga Race Course for Randomized, winning by a head’s margin.
“We managed to get our nose down, just like we did five weeks ago,” said trainer Chad Brown, referring to Sierra Leone’s narrow loss to Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby. “I always remind myself that the photos can go either way, so I keep that in mind when I lose them.”
Randomized had previously won the Grade I Alabama at Saratoga, and her aggressive front-running style almost secured her a win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. However, Idiomatic clinched that victory by a half-length, earning an Eclipse Award and a potential nomination for Horse of the Year.
This time around, Idiomatic, last year’s Personal Ensign winner at Saratoga, had a wide trip under Florent Geroux, while Randomized took the inside track.
“These two had a fierce competition in the Breeders’ Cup last year, and we ended up on the losing side,” Brown said. “But let’s not forget, Idiomatic was the deserving champion. She’s an exceptional horse.
“I believe we were lucky to save more ground than her [in the Ogden Phipps]. She [Idiomatic] was three-deep the whole way and almost won the race.”
“I was praying for the finish line, as that horse was gaining on us,” Rosario said. “I was a bit nervous, but she pulled through.”
Randomized maintained a steady pace, completing the quarter-mile in 24.34 and a comfortable 48.99 for the half.
Meanwhile, Idiomatic was positioning herself in second as they rounded the second turn, but she had been restless in the gate and didn’t get a clean start.
“She was not perfectly settled in the gate, to be honest,” Geroux said. “She’s a large horse and sometimes struggles with the start. This particular race, they were focusing on me and trying to outmaneuver me rather than focusing on their own horse.”
“She ran a good race and was the best horse,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She lost a significant amount of ground around the first and second turn. The winner didn’t really face any pace pressure. Looking forward to the rematch. Can’t wait.”
“When he [Rosario] came off the turn, it looked like he still had a good handle on the situation, and Idiomatic was already being pushed a bit,” Brown said. “I thought it would be close, but it would at least give us some distance in the middle of the stretch, which proved crucial for our victory.”
Agree – Randomized winning over Idiomatic shows the importance of unpredictability in horse racing. #excitingresult
Disagree – Traditional methods should still hold weight in determining outcomes.
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