Janet Napolitiano Photo

Idea Generation takes them all the way in G2 Flower Bowl upset

by Mary Eddy

Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables brought the formidable multiple graded stakes-winner McKulick as one of the favorites for the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl, but it was their 31-1 longshot Idea Generation who took them wire-to-wire in Saturday’s 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course.

The Flower Bowl awarded Idea Generation with a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Idea Generation flipped the script of the 11-furlong Grade 3 Waya in October at Belmont at the Big A where she set the pace before being caught in the stretch by stablemate McKulick. This time, the 4-year-old daughter of Dubawi would not be denied, and added accolades of her own to her resume with her first victory against winners.

Piloted by Florent Geroux, Idea Generation emerged well from post 6 to lead the field of seven through the first turn and into the stretch for the first time, marking the opening quarter-mile in 26.08 seconds over the yielding footing as Parnac tracked 5 1/2 lengths back in second and McKulick remained under a tight hold from Irad Ortiz, Jr. in third.

Brown said he felt confident in Idea Generation as the field passed the stands for the first time.

“She had her ears up and was loving the ground,” Brown said. “We knew she liked the soft ground, but she was really looking comfortable the whole way. I actually felt good on the final turn with everybody getting closer. I could see he was giving her a breather. Flo [Geroux] rode a great race. The other good race she ran was with him last fall, so I was thrilled he was actually here today. I was very excited to put him on the horse.”

Brown recalled when Geroux piloted Idea Generation to her pacesetting runner-up effort in the Waya over yielding footing, and said he envisioned a similar scenario.

“My instructions in the paddock were the same that day when she ran second at Aqueduct last fall – ‘you're here to set the pace, but you’re also here to win. Try to do both. Honest pace - she enjoys running along freely, but if you think you can win the race, by all means, try to win the race.’ He did it. He was clear,” Brown said. “He was setting an honest pace, but he used good judgment to try and win the race for himself, too. That's what I do with my speed horses.”

Idea Generation maintained her advantage through the second turn and onto the backstretch as she marked splits of 51.92, 1:18.20 and 1:43.58 with the running order mostly unchanged before Ortiz, Jr. got moving aboard McKulick into the final turn and Junior Alvarado angled post-time favorite War Like Goddess off the rail and wide around Eternal Hope to forge a path for the lead.

Parnac, last year’s Flower Bowl victress, faded along the inside as McKulick overtook second at the top of the lane and the pair of War Like Goddess and Eternal Hope charged down the center of the course, but Idea Generation kept a comfortable cushion between her and her stablemate through 10 furlongs in 2:07.14. War Like Goddess provided some interest late as she drew nearer in the final sixteenth, but there was no catching Idea Generation, who crossed the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front in a final time of 2:18.97.

War Like Goddess held second by two lengths over McKulick, who fended off Eternal Hope by a head for show. Verbier, who broke last, Millie Girl and Parnac completed the order of finish. La Mehana and Neecie Marie were scratched, along with main track-only entrants Movie Moxy and Amanda’s Folly.

Brown said he is unlikely to try Idea Generation at the Breeders’ Cup.

"That seems like a little bit of a reach. She had her ground and her own way today,” said Brown. “I'm not going to get ahead of myself there. We'll see how she's doing. She's unlikely to have soft turf at Del Mar, we know that. We’ll just enjoy this win and plan our future from here. When she gets around three turns on soft turf, she has a place in the barn that's for sure."

Alvarado, aboard the multiple Grade 1-winning War Like Goddess for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, said the 7-year-old English Channel mare was compromised by the lack of pace.

"We had a good trip. I let her settle and make one run, but the filly in the lead stole the race. It was a slow pace. The other filly went with it and stole the race from the get go,” Alvarado said. “My filly ran a great race. She was very competitive and finished very well, but there was a lot to do at the end."

Campaigned by George Krikorian, War Like Goddess won this event in 2021 and finished second in 2022.

As for McKulick, Brown said the talented Frankel bay could have benefitted from some cover early.

“Where she ended up - up close and in the clear has been the races where she doesn't really fire,” Brown said. “It's no fault of Irad, that's where she ended up and I like where she ended up as a team with those two horses. But she's always run her best races covered up and producing herself in the clear late. So, running the whole way with no cover I don't think helped her."

McKulick went to Santa Anita Park last year to finish 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Brown said while she is likely to race one more time, he may opt for a different spot for the Grade 1-winner.

"I'm not quite sure. She's getting to the end of her career. We’re planning on selling her at the end of the year. I'd like to run her one more time, though. I'll talk to Seth about it. We tried that last year, and it didn't really work out. I'm not sure...but I don't want to say no either. It would be nice if the Breeders' Cup let us use the 'Win and You're In' at our own discretion,” said Brown, with a laugh.

Brown, who is the runaway leader in the Spa trainer standings, added he was pleased to be able to compete over a well-maintained turf course.

"I want to thank NYRA for leaving the race on the turf. It was really the right decision. It's closing weekend, it's not dangerous and the course is in good shape because they managed it well all meet,” Brown commented. “We've had good weather which has contributed to our good meet - my team - we had a couple little stretches of weather in the middle of the meet there and they took some races off and used good judgment because that's why we could leave it on today. If they hadn't made those tough decisions mid-meet of taking races off, it would have been impossible to run today.

"This is why you do it and I appreciate them doing it, especially this late in the meet when some of us had a choice to go to Kentucky for some of those races,” Brown continued. “We chose to stay here and run in New York; it would have been a shame for it to come off. I'm very appreciative of the management not only leaving it on, but having the course in good, safe shape for us to run on just now.”

Bred in Ireland by Epona Bloodstock, Idea Generation debuted with a nose second in a local maiden special weight in July 2022 that was declared a non-wagering event, and broke her maiden at third asking traveling 1 1/16 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack. She entered off a closing fifth in a local allowance going the Flower Bowl distance on July 25 off a nine-month layoff.

Idea Generation, who was purchased for $485,808 out of Book 1 at the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, banked $275,000 in victory while improving her lifetime record to 7-2-2-0. She returned $64.50 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 13-race card, featuring the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup – a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic – in Race 12 and the Listed $150,000 Bernard Baruch in Race 11. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.