When 1-2 favorite War Like Goddess tried to take jockey Joel Rosario for a ride in the early stages of Thursday's Grade 2 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga, it opened the doors for an upset in the 1 1/2-mile turf contest. In the final eighth of a mile, it was the second choice McKulick (4-1) who was able to pick up the pieces and run down the favorite, crossing the wire a neck ahead of War Like Goddess.
Seth Klarman's 4-year-old daughter of Frankel completed the 12 furlongs over the firm turf in 2:27.05, giving trainer Chad Brown his first victory in the Glens Falls. Irad Ortiz, Jr. piloted the winner for her first win in nearly 11 months.
“She's dancing,” said Ron McKulick, husband of the late Mary McKulick, the filly's namesake and Brown's first employee when he left Bobby Frankel's barn. “She would be humbled and honored and full of joy.”
Drawn on the inside of the seven-strong field, favored War Like Goddess was allowed to settle into stride before Rosario tried to take hold of the two-time Glens Falls winner (2021 and 2022). Turning into the stretch run for the first time, however, War Like Goddess was boxed in from the outside and took offense to the rating attempt; she became extremely rank, tossing her head about and trying to pull Rosario to the front of the field.
At the front of the field, Elegant Taste and Vergara held the top two spots while Virginia Joy kept War Like Goddess against the rail in a joint third. McKulick and Sopran Basilea followed in a compact formation, while Amazing Grace brought up the rear. The early fractions were mild: :24.84, :50.01, and 1:15.29.
Vergara and Virginia Joy were at the front heading into the stretch for the final time, but War Like Goddess made her move and was able to take over from those leaders. Ortiz, meanwhile, looked like he was out of horse along the rail at the head of the lane, but he angled McKulick to the outside and the filly dug in gamely. McKulick put in a big late run down the center of the course to defeat War Like Goddess by a neck at the wire. Amazing Grace closed to finish third, and Sopran Basilea was fourth.
Bred in Great Britain by Essafinaat UK Ltd, McKulick is out of the unraced Makfi mare Astrelle. Mike Ryan selected the filly at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for $245,369; she won on debut, and won two legs of last year's Fillies' Turf Triple in New York. The Glens Falls is just her fourth lifetime win, but it improves her overall record to 4-4-2 from 11 starts and earnings of over $1.4 million.
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