Klaravich Stables’ Randomized fell just short of an Eclipse Award honor in 2023, finishing second in voting to Pretty Mischievous for champion 3-year-old filly. But if she can produce the kind of performance as she did June 8 in the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, she will have another shot at a title.
Delivering an effort that ranks her among the top fillies and mares in the country, she bravely turned back a bid from reigning champion older dirt female Idiomatic to prevail in the Ogden Phipps by a short head in a photo finish.
As is her custom, she blazed away from the starting gate—tactics that were beneficial when she was able to establish a fairly easy pace, setting fractions of :24.34, :48.99, and 1:12.59 in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race.
Idiomatic was not breathing down her neck, as expected. After a flat-footed start, jockey Florent Geroux allowed her to settle on the outside in third, a couple lengths off the leader, with longshot Tizzy in the Sky racing between the duo.
Sent after Randomized by Geroux leaving the second turn, Juddmonte’s Idiomatic loomed outside of a well-off-the-rail Randomized, while Godolphin’s Pretty Mischievous darted through inside to challenge when a wide opening appeared.
But the race proved a two-horse battle to the finish, with Randomized having just enough left to repel Idiomatic. She hit the wire with a final time of 1:49.58, returning $14 to her win backers.
“She’s back,” owner Seth Klarman of Klaravich Stables said of Randomized, last year’s Alabama Stakes (G1) winner.
Jockey Joel Rosario notched his fourth overall victory in the Phipps and his third straight after back-to-back wins on Clairiere in 2022-23.
“I was begging for the wire because (Idiomatic) was coming. So I was sweating a little bit, but she got the job done,” the rider said.
Pretty Mischievous finished third, 4 1/2 lengths behind, a nose ahead of Raging Sea in fourth. Soul of an Angel and Tizzy in the Sky completed the order of finish.
Idiomatic’s trainer, Brad Cox, felt his mare “was the best horse. I mean, lost a ton of ground, no pace pressure for the winner, and just a nasty bob.”
The race shape and outcome differed from when Randomized and Idiomatic met in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita Park. That day, Idiomatic pushed front-running Randomized through splits of :22.31, 46.26, and 1:10.16 before gradually pulling away by a half-length over Randomized with 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.57.
Between that start, Idiomatic had won the May 3 La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, while Randomized was upset when second to Soul of an Angel in the May 4 Ruffian Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack in a return trainer Chad Brown felt Randomized needed.
Idiomatic and Randomized “were going at it in the Breeders’ Cup last year, and we ended up on the wrong side of that one,” Brown said. “Listen, Idiomatic is a deserving champion. She’s an outstanding horse, and I think we were very fortunate to save more ground than her in the race.”
Randomized (inside) and Joel Rosario win the Ogden Phipps Stakes over Idiomatic and Florent Geroux at Saratoga Race Course
The two could meet later this year, with the Aug. 23 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar being frequent targets of leading dirt female runners. The Phipps provided Randomized with an automatic, paid berth in the Distaff via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Randomized is by Nyquist , who stands at Darley in Lexington for a fee of $85,000 in 2024. His top runners this year include Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) winner Johannes , Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) winner Nysos, and Lexington Stakes (G3) winner Encino, among others.
 "BCCI want Test specialists to play domestic cricket; Rohit, Virat, Bumrah to be exceptions")
