Photo:

Eclipse Sportswire – edited composite

This is the one that I have been waiting for.

Led by Thorpedo Anna and Idiomatic, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar, the world’s most important dirt race for females, is shaping up to be a classic matchup of a young star taking on an older champion.

This caliber of showdown does not happen often, but when it does, it can be very special. Certainly one of the most outstanding races in Breeders’ Cup history happened eight years ago at Santa Anita. The main participants, Beholder and Songbird, treated us to a race to remember.

I selected the older horse in that one, and I was right, sort of. The margin of victory for Beholder over Songbird that afternoon was so narrow that some still dispute the photo. Those two champions have much in common with this year’s female stars.

Like Thorpedo Anna, Songbird came into the race far and away the best sophomore filly in the land. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, in fact, had never before lost a race. Her win in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes sent her to Santa Anita a perfect 11-for-11. She never had faced males, nor had she faced older before, but so dominant was she against her own division, the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained filly was the Distaff favorite.

Beholder, meanwhile, was the consummate pro. She had been there and done that. Already a two-time winner of Breeders’ Cup races, the 6-year-old Henny Hughes mare was a proven commodity. Like Idiomatic, she had multiple losses that season. But her form was still very good, and the feeling was that trainer Richard Mandella would have his star at her best for her career swan song.

Both future Hall of Famers, Beholder and Songbird ran their race in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and the result was magical.

The veteran champion defeated the young star by a whisker that afternoon, but Songbird only furthered her reputation in defeat.

Will youth be served this time around?

Thorpedo Anna has been sensational in 2024 after showing much promise at 2. Dominant wins in the Fantasy (G2), Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) prompted trainer Kenny McPeek to run her against the best young males in the country going 1 1/4 miles in the Travers Stakes (G1).

The daughter of Fast Anna did everything but win in that mid-season showdown. Losing by a diminishing head under rider Brian Hernandez Jr. to the champion Fierceness proved that the soon-to-be 3-year-old filly champion is all class. A narrow win in the Cotillion followed and left some wanting more, but it was a tricky spot, a tricky trip and only a prep for the season-ending goal of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Idiomatic rolled to last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff on a four-race winning streak and was a determined winner at Santa Anita as the 9-5 favorite. The big, powerful daughter of Curlin earned her first Eclipse Award a few months later.

This year has been a little less simple for the 5-year-old Brad Cox-trainee, but much like Beholder of 2016, it would be hard to say she has lost a step. Heartbreaking losses in a pair of Grade 1 races at Saratoga were a part of her first four races this year, but a recent romp at Keeneland in the Spinster (G1) under Florent Géroux makes me believe she will be at her very best in two weeks.

Much like there were strong fillies and mares like Forever Unbridled and Stellar Wind to support the showdown in 2016, this year’s Distaff is not a two-horse race.

Awesome Result will come from Japan with a spotless record in seven career starts. The daughter of Justify will look to emulate Marche Lorraine, who won it for the Japanese the last time Del Mar hosted the Breeders’ Cup three years ago.

Raging Sea has won three straight graded stakes for trainer Chad Brown, including a rallying victory over Idiomatic two starts back. The daughter of Curlin certainly will benefit from a contentious early pace in this year’s Distaff.

As good as those two look on paper, however, all eyes will be on Idiomatic and Thorpedo Anna. The former is already a champion who will be looking to join Bayakoa, Royal Delta, Beholder and Monomoy Girl as the only two-time winners of the big race.

As for Thorpedo Anna, she already has the 3-year-old-filly Eclipse Award wrapped up and is very much in the running for the horse-of-the-year honor. She proved herself with a too-good-to-lose type of performance against the males in the Travers and has dominated her own division with five important wins without a loss.

In 2016 it was the younger Songbird who had the most speed, while the tactical Beholder was made to chase. For this showdown it is the older Idiomatic who has the most speed while the younger Thorpedo Anna will use her tactical speed to stay close.

So who wins this classic matchup of the young star against the older champion? This time I think youth will be served.

I believe Thorpedo Anna is the best horse, and she will prove that on Nov. 2. With Idiomatic out there on the lead, however, it will not be easy. This year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff should be a classic.