British Idiom gets time off with ankle injury

An explanation for champion British Idiom’s subpar 10th in the May 1 Fantasy (G3) has come to light: the Blood-Horse reports that she exited the Oaklawn Park feature with a chip in her right front ankle.

The 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) star was given a thorough check-up by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital near Lexington, Kentucky, where the injury was discovered.

Trainer Brad Cox revealed that British Idiom will require at least 60 days’ off to heal. Co-owner Sol Kumin, in confirming the story for Thoroughbred Daily News, added that the Flashback filly is spending the time at WinStar Farm.

By that timetable, British Idiom would not be cleared for light training until early to mid-July. Cox told Blood-Horse that he expects to point toward a fall campaign.

Until her setback, British Idiom was a prominent contender for the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks (G1). Last year’s champion juvenile filly accumulated 50 Oaks points – 10 for her terrific Alcibiades (G1) stakes debut, 20 for her Breeders’ Cup victory, and 20 for her comeback second in the Feb. 15 Rachel Alexandra (G2).

Although suffering her first loss that day at Fair Grounds, hopes were for British Idiom to move forward in the Fantasy, but she uncharacteristically never got involved. She’ll look to build upon her 5-3-1-0, $1,442,139, resume later in the season.

Cox has two other major Oaks candidates in Bonny South and Shedaresthedevil, the respective second and fourth on the leaderboard. Bonny South rolled in the TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), worth 100 points to the winner, and Shedaresthedevil has banked a total of 70 points between her Honeybee (G3) score and recent third in the Fantasy.

Another Cox champion who shares overlapping ownership with British Idiom, Monomoy Girl, is on course for a long-awaited return to action. The 2018 Kentucky Oaks winner has not raced for more than 18 months, since defeating elders and Midnight Bisou in that fall’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), but is set to launch a comeback this month at Churchill Downs.