Month: April 2023

George Krikorian's War Like Goddess added her name to the Keeneland record books when she scored her third consecutive victory in the $300,000 Bewitch (G3) Friday on closing day of the Spring Meet. Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Joel Rosario, War Like Goddess stalked the early pace, took the lead at the top of the stretch and held off a determined rally by Temple City Terror to win by 1½ lengths.

War Like Goddess is the third horse to win a Keeneland stakes three years in a row, joining Royal Harmony, who won the Fayette in 1969, 1970 and 1971, and Knight Counter, who took the Ben Ali in 1972, 1973 and 1974.

Making her first start since finishing third against males in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) in November at Keeneland, War Like Goddess covered the Bewitch's 1½ miles on a turf course labeled good in 2:32.11.

The 1-2 favorite in the field of five older fillies and mares, War Like Goddess returned $3.00, $2.32 and $2.10. Temple City Terror, ridden by Jose Ortiz, paid $3.12 and $2.10. Finishing third another 11 lengths back was Personal Best, who paid $2.10 to show under Irad Ortiz Jr.

War Like Goddess is a 6-year-old daughter of English Channel out of Misty North, by North Light (IRE). A Keeneland sales graduate, she earned $186,000 today to boost her career bankroll to $2,158,184 with a record of 14-10-1-2.

Quotes for the $300,000 Bewitch (G3)

Bill Mott (winning trainer of War Like Goddess)

On winning the Bewitch three years in a row:

“She's as good or better right now, and she's just such a really special filly. They don't come along that often. You can get a lot of horses in the barn, but to have one like this that's so consistent and she shows up all the time – she's just a very special horse. I'm very fortunate to have been the recipient of her when she came in as a 2-year-old.”

On the 6-year-old mare's performance off the layoff, having last run third against males in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland

“She was outside of horses, she wasn't tucked in, and she was still relaxed enough early. Going a mile-and-a-half, coming off a long freshening, you worry about them being a little rank or a little anxious. (Jockey) Joel (Rosario) was able to get in behind one horse coming by the stand the first time, she relaxed very nicely, and was responsive when he asked her to run.”

Joel Rosario (winning jockey)

“She was comfortable today, really relaxed, so I was happy with that. It was good for her today. (Temple City Terror) started moving a little bit (to the outside on the turn), probably because of the slow pace, and the horse in front (Personal Best) started moving before the three-eighths pole, so I had to kind of keep going with my spot, pick up on my spot, but she did great. I really thank (trainer) Bill (Mott) and owner George (Krikorian) for the opportunity.”

Jose Ortiz (rider of runner-up Temple City Terror)

“Perfect trip. This race, at three turns, you want to save ground around two. I did that. I saved a lot of ground the first two turns. I knew we were going slow enough, so when I got on the backside and I had the opportunity to go in the clear, I did. It was a race from that point on, from the half-mile pole, to the wire. The other mare (War Like Goddess) is very nice, but she had to run for her money today. I think my mare ran a huge race.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of third-place finisher Personal Best)

“Right (at the start), she had a little stumble out of there (so) I didn't ask her to go. She got up to a nice speed. You can see the (slow) fractions, she made the lead on her own, then she switched off. She just couldn't keep up.”

Tyler Gaffalione (rider of fourth-place finisher Ensemble-IRE)

“My filly settled back. We tried to make a run and get a good placing. It just wasn't good enough today.”

The post ‘Very Special’ War Like Goddess Wins Bewitch For Third Straight Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Grade 3 winner Mo Strike is scheduled to make his 2023 debut in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the 6-furlong Bachelor, the 10th of 11 races, is 5:26 p.m. (Central). The card also features the inaugural $150,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 mile. Racing begins at 12:30 p.m.

The projected eight-horse Bachelor field from the rail out: Arman, Martin Garcia, 121 pounds, 3-1 on the morning line; Count de Monet, Chel-c Bailey, 121, 15-1; Mo Strike, Cristian Torres, 121, 2-1; Ryvit, Keith Asmussen, 121, 5-2; Tyler's Tribe, Kylee Jordan, 124, 15-1; Alto Road, Luis Quinonez, 119, 12-1; Release McCraken, Gabriel Saez, 121, 8-1; and Joking Way, Isaac Castillo, 121, 20-1.

Program favorite Mo Strike hasn't started since finishing fourth in the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) Sept. 5 at Saratoga. The 7-furlong race, contested over a sloppy track, was won by Forte, subsequently an Eclipse Award winner as the country's champion 2-year-old male and Kentucky Derby favorite. Mo Strike will be racing on Lasix for the first time Saturday.

“He's done good,” said Brad Cox, who trains Mo Strike for Nasser Bin Omairah. “He's been at Keeneland, training pretty steady.

“I thought this would be a good spot to get him back started. Obviously, maybe try to stretch him a little bit, but I thought this would be a good race off the layoff.”

Mo Strike, who is by champion Uncle Mo, won his other two starts last year, including the $175,000 Sanford Stakes (G3) at 6 furlongs July 16 at Saratoga. Cox, roughly a month after the Hopeful, said he decided to stop on Mo Strike and point for 2023 campaign.

“Just back training at Churchill in the fall, he just wasn't moving quite like we like, so we gave him some time off,” Cox said.

Mo Strike returned to the work tab March 4 at Turfway Park. His last four drills have been at Keeneland, including a 5-furlong bullet (1:01) April 17. Cox is seeking his first Bachelor victory and record-extending 10th stakes victory at the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting. Two of Cox's stakes victories came in Kentucky Derby points races – $250,000 Smarty Jones Jan. 1 with Victory Formation and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 1 with Angel of Empire. Cox said he guesses Mo Strike, at the time of the Hopeful, “would have been” his best 2-year-old.

“I thought he was going to run really well in the Hopeful,” Cox said. “He didn't run terrible, but it was a really wet track that day. He was training really well; he just didn't fire like we thought and just needed some time.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is seeking record-extending 103rd career Oaklawn stakes victory. Asmussen, who has won the Bachelor a record seven times, is scheduled to start Ryvit and Joking Way. Ryvit has won two consecutive starts at the meeting, including a first-level allowance April 14, under Asmussen's son, Keith, who is seeking his first career at Oaklawn stakes victory.

Triple Crown nominee Arman exits an entry-level allowance victory sprinting March 23 at Oaklawn for Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller. Count de Monet and Tyler's Tribe finished first and third, respectively, in the $150,000 Advent Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 9 at Oaklawn.

Count de Monet was 3 for 3 overall after the Advent, but hasn't been competitive in his last two starts at the meeting for trainer Tom Swearingen. Count de Monet was beaten 17 ¼ lengths in his last start, an open allowance sprint against older horses March 5.

“Just didn't run his race,” Swearingen said. “He didn't seem right. Maybe he was a little over classed. I think he's doing really good right now. Hopefully, he fires back for us.”

Iowa-bred star Tyler's Tribe cuts back to a sprint after fading to sixth, beaten 15 ¾ lengths, in an allowance race March 30 at Oaklawn for co-owner/trainer Tim Martin. The 1-mile race marked the 3-year-old and two-turn debut for Tyler's Tribe, who looks to regain the form he showed last summer and fall at Prairie Meadows, where he won his first five career starts, including four stakes, by a combined 59 ¾ front-running lengths.

“The 6 furlongs, I think, will be good,” Martin said. “I think going into the mile, all the works and stuff, he just went 6 furlongs and that's about all he wanted, she (Jordan) said.”

Release McCraken, who is trained by Bret Calhoun, is seeking his fourth consecutive victory.

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