Friday’s Personal Ensign (G1) offered a rematch between champion Nest and Clairiere, but it was the other Curlin filly, up-and-coming Idiomatic, who upstaged them both at Saratoga.

Last year’s champion three-year-old filly Nest showed no rust in Sunday’s $186,000 Shuvee (G2), leveraging her tactical speed to dethrone older star Clairiere at Saratoga.

Reigning titleholder Clairiere has a recency advantage over Nest, last year’s champion three-year-old filly who makes her belated 2023 debut.

Clairiere delivered another thrilling victory in the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont, becoming only the fourth female to win the race in consecutive years.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had raved about how much Secret Oath was thriving ahead of her four-year-old bow in Saturday’s Azeri (G2), and Briland Farm’s homebred backed up his assessment with a good-looking win at Oaklawn Park.

Stonestreet Stables’ homebred Clairiere followed up her Ogden Phipps (G1) victory over Malathaat by beating the champion again in Sunday’s Shuvee (G2) at Saratoga.

The two Curlin bluebloods square off again in Sunday’s $200,000 Shuvee (G2) at Saratoga, where Malathaat bids to re-assert her superiority.

Stonestreet Stables’ homebred Clairiere has been competing honorably at the top level, and her moment finally came in Saturday’s $999,500 Cotillion (G1) at Parx.