Horse Profile: Ides of March

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

O’Brien’s other runner, Ides of March, has yet to race at stablemate Whistlejacket’s level, as short as five furlongs, or away from the Curragh. But he enters on the upswing with his real aptitude still unknown. 

Just one of the noteworthy juveniles from top sire Wootton Bassett’s first crop since joining Coolmore, Ides of March is out of 2015 Frizette (G1) winner Nickname. That daughter of Scat Daddy was fourth in Songbird’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. 

Ides of March was an educational fourth at 14-1 in his six-furlong debut over Irish Derby weekend, hovering in the hunt before tiring. Up to seven for a July 20 maiden as the favorite, he pressed the pace, but couldn’t get past, and ultimately was blown away in third by budding star The Lion in Winter. 

Since reverting to six, Ides of March has won two straight in dominant front-running fashion. He obliged in a good-to-firm maiden at even-money, firing a final quarter in :22.31, although his time (1:10.73) was more than a second slower than the Phoenix (G1) also on the Aug. 10 card. 

Ides of March followed up in the Aug. 31 Round Tower (G3) at odds-on. The Round Tower runner-up, Usdi Atohi, was coming off a fifth in the Molecomb (G3), thereby giving him collateral form with Big Mojo and Aesterius. But the difference in distance makes the comparison tenuous. 

Entered in the Middle Park (G1), Ides of March was scratched when Newmarket came up soft. He would have contributed to the pace there, but he’ll face an entirely novel scenario hurtling around Del Mar.