War Like Goddess Wins Glen Falls For Mott, Casa Creed To Fourstardave

George Krikorian's War Like Goddess rallied from last-of-7 to capture Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Glens Falls, a 12-furlong inner-turf test for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old English Channel bay notched her third straight graded win, encompassing the Grade 3 Orchid in March at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 Bewitch in April at Keeneland.

Mott said he was pleased with the winning trip engineered by regular pilot Julien Leparoux.

“I thought she accelerated very good. I couldn't describe it any other way other than impressive,” Mott said.

Mott said he would point War Like Goddess to the $600,000 Grade 1 Flower Bowl on September 4 at Saratoga, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni's Du Jour, who exited post 2 under Joel Rosario, finished third just 3 1/2-lengths back of winner State of Rest in Saturday's Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational.

The Temple City bay captured the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 American Turf in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before finishing fourth last month in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in his first start for Mott.

“I thought he ran well to be third. I wasn't disappointed,” Mott said. “He had a little bit of trouble getting through. As he was coming through, they kind of squeezed him a little bit, but he still ran well. We're happy with his performance.”

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector earned a 102 Beyer in a convincing front-running score in Friday's nine-furlong Alydar.

The 4-year-old Bernardini colt, who was making his first start for Mott, captured the Grade 2 Blue Grass last August at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and the Ellis Park Derby last August for former conditioner Tom Drury, Jr.

He entered the Alydar off a trio of off-the-board efforts.

“He had kind of lost his way a little bit, but it looks like he's back into form,” Mott said.

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LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's High Oak, an impressive maiden winner in June at Belmont, and Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur-winner Casa Creed breezed a bullet half-mile in :48.11 in company Saturday on the Oklahoma dirt training track.

“They both went well. I was very happy with them,” Mott said. “They both did what I wanted them to do. They maybe worked a little better than expected.”

High Oak, a 2-year-old son of Gormley, is pointed to Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite, a 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint for juveniles.

Casa Creed, a 5-year-old son of Jimmy Creed, scratched out of Friday's Grade 3 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland after drawing post 12. Mott said Casa Creed will now target the $500,000 Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap on August 14, a “Win and You're In' qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Mile.

“We didn't like our post the other day and I think we'd prefer to take our chance in another race,” Mott said. “Not that we think it's an easier spot, but maybe we'll get a little better draw and have a chance at a better trip.”

Casa Creed will stretch back out to one mile in the Fourstardave after an impressive rally to win the six-furlong Jackpocket Jaipur. Mott acknowledged that the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, to be contested at five furlongs at Del Mar, would likely be too short for the late-running Casa Creed.

“That's probably not his cup of tea,” Mott said.

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It’s Du Jour’s Day In the American Turf

Du Jour worked out a perfect trip under Flavien Prat to provide Bob Baffert with a rare graded stakes winner on the turf. A debut second on the Del Mar lawn last November behind next-out stakes winner Cathkin Peak (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}), the bay was third when switched to the Santa Anita main track Jan. 3 behind subsequent GIII Robert B. Lewis S. runner-up Roman Centurian (Empire Maker). He broke through back on the lawn in Arcadia Feb. 19, and doubled up after setting pace in a Mar. 28 optional claimer.

Guided to the hedge to sit fifth as Excellent Timing (Not This Time) sped clear, Du Jour advanced along the inside after six furlongs in 1:12.60. He briefly had to wait for a seam behind Winfromwithin, but the seas parted in midstretch and Du Jour lengthened his stride from there to kick home a decisive winner.

“The key was getting him to relax down inside,” said Prat, who also piloted Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to a win in the GII Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile earlier in the card. “I actually sent him quite a bit out of the gate and then it's always a question of if they can come back to you after that. It felt like they were going a good clip up front and that helped him to relax too. He traveled well and when I asked him to split horses, he did it nicely.”

Du Jour is co-owned by Baffert's wife Jill and Debbie Lanni, whose family's Lanni Family Trust has raced the likes of $6.5-million MGISW Game On Dude (Awesome Again) and MGSW/MGISP Reneesgotzip (City Zip).

“These turf horses are easier to train. You don't have to train them very hard,” said Baffert, whose last graded winner on the grass came with Kingly (Tapit) in the 2019 GIII La Jolla H. “We tried to make a dirt horse out of him and he wasn't that good. Mike Smith rode him and said I think he likes the turf. I'm really excited about it. And I'm just so happy for Jill. She has to deal with me as a trainer, and all the ups and downs. For that horse to win today, and to listen to her excitement, now she has something that's hers.”

Saturday, Churchill Downs
AMERICAN TURF S. PRESENTED BY DERBY CITY GAMING-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.49, fm.
1–DU JOUR, 118, c, 3, by Temple City
         1st Dam: Guiltless, by Bernardini
         2nd Dam: Getaway Girl, by Silver Deputy
         3rd Dam: Baby Zip, by Relaunch
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($19,000 Ylg
'19 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Natalie J. Baffert &
Debbie Lanni; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Flavien Prat. $282,100. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, $375,220.
Werk Nick Rating: C+. 
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lucky Law (Ire), 118, c, 3, No Nay Never–Musically (GB), by
Singspiel (Ire). (110,000gns Wlg '18 TATFOA; £110,000 2yo '20
GOFARQ). O-Sanford Bacon, Mrs. Paul Shanahan, Horse France
America, Patrick L. Biancone Racing LLC & DP Racing; B-The
Musically Syndicate (IRE); T-Patrick L. Biancone. $91,000.
3–Winfromwithin, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Rau Breck, by Mr.
Greeley. ($100,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Jim Bakke; B-Mulholland
Springs LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $45,500.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 5.60, 15.90, 5.00.
Also Ran: Hidden Enemy (Ire), Palazzi, Royal Prince, Chess's Dream, Annex, Scarlett Sky, Holy Vow, Next, Dyn O Mite, Barrister Tom, Excellent Timing. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

 
Pedigree Notes:
Du Jour becomes the 19th stakes winner (ninth graded) for sire Temple City. He is the 29th graded winner out of a Bernardini mare. The red-hot broodmare sire has been represented just this year by the likes of graded winners Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), Maxfield (Street Sense), Paris Lights (Curlin), Clairiere (Curlin), Cezanne (Curlin), Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and Twenty Carat (Into Mischief).

Just a $19,000 KEESEP yearling, Du Jour breezed in :10 1/5 at the pushed-back OBS Spring sale last year as a member of the Off the Hook LLC consignment before bringing $280,000. Off the Hook sold a :9 4/5 co-bullet breezer by Temple City for $110,000 at this year's recent OBSAPR renewal.

Du Jour is the second foal out of unplaced Guiltless, who is a half to GSW Northern Causeway (Giant's Causeway). His third dam produced Ghostzapper and City Zip. Guiltless's 2-year-old filly Royal County (Klimt) was fifth and fourth in her first two tries at Keeneland for juvenile specialist John Ennis. She has a yearling filly by Twirling Candy and was bred back to Not This Time.

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