Linguist the fairest of them all

LINGUIST’S second-place run behind BURNING HEDGE in the 1000 Guineas, handcuffed and boxed in behind horses from post-position two for the first six furlongs, served as confirmation of her preferred running style, which should hand the Aveenu Malcainu-Bilingual offspring Saturday’s Jamaica Oaks at 10 furlongs.

Though she won her first race in March at five furlongs straight, LINGUIST’s first four outings were all sprint races, showing prominently throughout but flattening whenever her faster rivals quickened.

After winning impressively at five furlongs straight, LINGUIST again got involved in the pace too early in the Thornbird Stakes at seven furlongs, attacking DANKA coming off the turn, only to flatten in the stretch run when lightweight HANSA and SOCIAL AVIATOR came calling. Returning at six and a half furlongs, two weeks later, with Dick Cardenas replacing Reyan Lewis, LINGUIST was held off the pace for a searing rail run to dismiss non-winners of two races.

With that eye-opening run under her girth, LINGUIST’s connections had high hopes in the Portmore at seven and a half furlongs but were crushed when she reared at the start and walked out almost a quarter-furlong behind the field. In an almost unbelievable run, LINGUIST improved from a distant last to almost a challenging seventh midway the stretch run before swerving from exhaustion, eventually eased by Cardenas.

Bred to get a distance of ground, LINGUIST was sired by the late Don Wehby’s Aveenu Malcainu out of the prolific Traditional mare, Bilingual.

Bilingual raced against some of the best horses in her era, losing the 1000 Guineas to Triple Crown winner, two-time Horse of the Year and dual Diamond Mile-winner, She’s A Maneater, who also won the Superstakes on three occasions.

Bilingual also placed second in the Jamaica Oaks to Marlene My Love, a half-sister to another Triple Crown winner, Mark My Word.

On pedigree and her 1000 Guineas run, rubbing shoulders with outstanding BURNING HEDGE in a two-horse race inside the last furlong, LINGUIST proved herself the second-best filly in the land by finishing six lengths clear of MIGHTY GULLY despite being eased for possibly the last half-furlong by Cardenas.