Flower Bowl | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ready to ‘Geaux’ for Labor Day Weekend

A trio of highly regarded sophomores will take on their elders in a fantastic renewal of Saturday's GI FanDuel Pacific Classic S. at Del Mar, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 5-2 morning-line favorite Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) leads the way for the 3-year-olds after defeating GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) by 1 3/4 lengths in Monmouth Park's GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22. He will look to follow in the hoofprints of his leading sire Candy Ride, who won the Pacific Classic in 2003.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella has won the Pacific Classic four times–Beholder (2015), Pleasantly Perfect (2004), Gentlemen (Arg) (1997) and Dare and Go (1996).

“He had us dreaming pretty high and still does,” Mandella said of the Pin Oak Stud colorbearer.

Geaux Rocket Ride has drawn the rail for the second straight race. “Just happy to be there,” Mandella said.

The Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was the beaten favorite in the Haskell, finishing third while making his first start since capturing Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Jan. 28.

Skinner (Curlin), a strong third in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 8, was forced to sit out the Kentucky Derby with an elevated temperature. He resurfaced with a useful second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Derby July 8.

The field of 11 also includes: 2021 Pacific Classic winner Tripoli (Kitten's Joy); this year's GI Santa Anita H. winner Stilleto Boy (Shackleford); and four runners out of the local prep GII San Diego H.–Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) (1st), Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) (2nd), Defunded (Dialed In) (4th) and Tripoli (fifth).

“It's an evenly matched, highly competitive field,” Tripoli's trainer John Sadler said. “You can make a case for a lot of different horses, so it should be a good race; nice mix of 3-year-olds and older horses.”

Del Mar's stacked 11-race program also includes: the 'Win and You're In' GII Del Mar H. (Longines Turf) and GIII Green Flash H. (Turf Sprint); the GII Del Mar Mile S., led by the streaking GI Shoemaker Mile S. winner Exaulted (Twirling Candy); and the GIII Torrey Pines S., highlighted by the return of GISW 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin).

Jockey Club Gold Cup Day at the Spa…

A field of eight will line up for Saratoga's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S., a 'Win and You're In' for the Classic.

Rattle N Roll (Connect), a winner of three straight graded races earlier this term, was freshened following a second-place finish in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1. The 9-5 morning-line favorite has posted five straight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.

Despite a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Stephen Foster, Proxy (Tapit)'s 5-year-old campaign also includes wins in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 22 and GIII Monmouth Cup S. July 22 and a close second in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 4. The Godolphin homebred has drawn the rail in the 1 1/4-mile feature.

“We knew from early on that he had a lot of talent and that's why we were so ready to give him all the time he needed and let him mature mentally and physically to where he's at now and it's really paying off,” trainer Mike Stidham said.

McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), winner of Saratoga's GII Glens Falls S. Aug. 3, headlines a field of four entered for the 'Win and You're In' GII Flower Bowl S.

Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief), second behind the ill-fated Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) in the GIII Victory Ride S. July 8, is the one to beat in the five-deep GII Prioress S.

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes a pair of deep fields for the GIII Big Ass Fans Music City S. and GIII Mint Millions S., both held at Kentucky Downs.

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CJ Johnsen Joins Bettor Things with Joe Bianca

On this week's episode of Bettor Things with Joe Bianca, the host talks to handicapper, owner/breeder and former racetrack executive CJ Johnsen about betting, sports, music and more. Johnsen, who is currently the vice president at CJ Thoroughbreds, is best known for guiding the remarkable transformation of Kentucky Downs from an afterthought on the racing calendar to a marquee stand with what equates to paradise for horseplayers: big fields and low takeout. Then, in the latest installment of his Breeders' Cup handicapping series, Bianca lays out plays for Saratoga's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and GII Flower Bowl S., two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” challenge races to be contested Saturday. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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War Like Goddess Defends Glens Falls Title; May Try Males in Sword Dancer

War Like Goddess, the $30,000 OBS June buy turned star turf marathoner, defended her title in Saratoga's GII Glens Falls S. with characteristic ease Saturday at the Spa, requiring little urging from Joel Rosario to pick up her eighth victory in 10 starts and sixth graded score in her last seven outings.

Opening her career with a pair of triumphs going long on the Churchill turf in the fall of 2020, the Bill Mott trainee ran fifth making her stakes bow in the GIII The Very One S. last February at Gulfstream before reeling off four consecutive graded successes, including dazzling wins in the Glens Falls and GI Flower Bowl S. here last summer. She removed any remaining doubt as to her quality when finishing a hard-fought, narrow third to champion Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and captured her second straight renewal of Keeneland's GIII Bewitch S. Apr. 29 in her only start of 2022 before Saturday.

Made the favorite for the sixth consecutive race, this time as a 2-5 chance, War Like Goddess found a cozy midpack spot as longshot Key Biscayne (Brethren) was afforded an easy lead and dictated terms through fractions of :25.26, :51.53 and 1:17.51. There was still no sense of urgency or change in the plot as the mile split went up in a dawdling 1:42.33, and trailer Flanigan's Cove (Kitten's Joy) was the first to push her chips in with a wide move into contention around five-sixteenths out. The heat then picked up nearing the lane as Petricor (GB) (Frankel {GB}), War Like Goddess and Flanigan's Cove stacked four deep along with the pacesetter, but Rosario sat typically chilly on the chalk until the furlong pole. Finally cutting her loose as Temple City Terror dove to the inside to challenge, Rosario mildly pushed out War Like Goddess, who asserted herself in deep stretch to edge away from Temple City Terror and clear second choice Virgina Joy, who grabbed third.

“They were sitting on a bunch of them early, but I guess late she had a little more kick than the rest of them,” said Mott. “You always worry about if they're going fast enough up front to give her a enough pace and you don't want them to have to wrestle with her to keep her back off the pace. Joel did a good job. He has good hands and the filly responded to him and when he asked her to go on, she was there for him.”

“She's a nice horse and easy to ride,” added Rosario. “The pace was slow, but the whole time I had confidence in her and when I turned her loose and wanted to go she went. She was running really nice for me and I just had to stay with her like that. She felt the confidence at that point and I just went with that. She's just amazing. Even before I rode her, when Julien [Leparoux] used to, I remember she just always had that kick at the end. I'm very happy with the ride.”

Mott revealed that a first try against males in the Aug. 27 GI Sword Dancer S. could be in the cards next for War Like Goddess due to the downgrading of the Sept. 3 Flower Bowl to a Grade II for this year.

“We missed the New York Handicap, we got forced into missing that because of some training issues. Now we'll look at the Flower Bowl, most likely, or maybe even the Sword Dancer,” the Hall of Famer said. “We'll see. [The Sword Dancer] is a mile and a half and it's a Grade I. She's a Grade I winner already, but unfortunately the Flower Bowl has been a Grade I since I've been in New York and they downgraded it, which is a very big disappointment. There have been some real top fillies run in the race.”

Pedigree Notes:

The first back-to-back winner in the 27-year history of the Glens Falls, War Like Goddess is one of 12 Grade I/Group 1 winners for champion turf sire English Channel, who died from a sudden illness at the age of 19 last fall. She is the first foal out of dam Misty North (North Light {Ire}), who sold for just $1,000 to Charles Yochum at Keeneland November in 2019 prior to any of War Like Goddess's exploits. Responsible for an unraced 3-year-old Red Rocks (Ire) filly named Thecradlewillrock and a juvenile colt by Bal a Bali (Brz) named North of Bali, Misty North was not reported bred in 2020 or 2021 before visiting Curlin this season. Third dam Romanette was a SW/MGSP and produced thrice Group 1-placed Blush Rambler (Blushing Groom {Fr}).

Saturday, Saratoga
GLENS FALLS S.-GII, $250,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 4yo/up, f/m,
1 1/2mT, 2:29.33, fm.
1–WAR LIKE GODDESS, 122, m, 5, by English Channel
1st Dam: Misty North, by North Light (Ire)
2nd Dam: Misty Gallop, by Victory Gallop
3rd Dam: Romanette, by Alleged
($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Joel Rosario. $137,500. Lifetime Record: GISW, 10-8-0-1, $1,217,184. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Temple City Terror, 120, m, 6, Temple City–It Takes Two, by More Than Ready. ($22,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Pocket Aces Racing LLC; B-Upson Downs Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $50,000.
3–Virginia Joy (Ger), 124, m, 5, Soldier Hollow (GB)–Virginia Sun (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). (€975,000 3yo '20 ARARC). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Gestut Auenquelle (Ger); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 14.70, 3.30.
Also Ran: Flanigan's Cove, Key Biscayne, Treasure Tails, Petricor (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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War Like Goddess Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth With Flower Bowl Win

In a longtime turf stakes race run at a new distance and a new venue, War Like Goddess got a new title: Grade 1 winner. The daughter of English Channel bided her time behind the front-running La Signare, waited for the final turn to make her move, and sprinted away to victory over Great Island and My Sister Nat in the 1 3/8-mile Flower Bowl at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Breaking from the third post, War Like Goddess got a clean start, settling in third behind La Signare and Great Island early. On the backstretch, Lovely Lucky took over third, leaving War Like Goddess six lengths behind the front-running La Signare, who set early fractions of :24.71 for the first quarter, :48.83 for the half-mile, and 1:13.66 for six furlongs. Entering the final turn, the lead was down to two lengths as Great Island started to challenge La Signare's lead going into the Saratoga straight. Julien Leparoux angled War Like Goddess out from the hedge on the turn, seeking a clear running lane in the race's final furlongs.

In the stretch, Great Island made the lead as War Like Goddess sprinted down the center of the track, passing Great Island to take the lead and win by two lengths. Great Island held off a surging My Sister Nat to finish second.

The final time for the 1 3/8-mile G1 Flower Bowl was 2:13.07 over a firm turf course.

The Flower Bowl is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. As a Win and You're In race for the Filly and Mare Turf, the winner earns a feed-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, War Like Goddess is a 4-year-old filly out of the North Light mare Misty North. Owned by George Krikorian, the filly is trained by Bill Mott. With her win in the Flower Bowl, the filly has four wins in five starts, for a lifetime record of six wins in seven starts. Consigned by Hemingway Racing and Training Stables, War Like Goddess was purchased by H N D Bloodstock for $30,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age sale.

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