Flower Bowl | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Grade I Winners Return in Beaugay

Grade I winners Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah) and Civil Union (War Front) kick off their 2021 campaigns in Saturday's GIII Beaugay S. at Belmont Park.

Harvey's Lil Goil followed a win in Keeneland's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Oct. 10 with a huge third–beaten only a neck at 20-1–in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland last time Nov. 7.

Civil Union, winner of last term's GI Flower Bowl S. over this course, had a four-race winning steak snapped, finishing another two slots back in fifth in the Filly and Mare Turf.

Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), a dual group winner in her native Ireland, including the 2020 G2 Kilboy Estate S., makes her North American debut for Chad Brown after winning four of seven starts for trainer G.M. Lyons. She was last seen finishing 10th in the G2 Blandford S. Sept. 13.

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New York Turf Bonuses ‘Very Appealing’ For Grade 1 Winner Magic Attitude

Trainer Arnaud Delacour said Lael Stables' Grade 1 winner Magic Attitude is training towards a seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Hillsborough at nine furlongs on the Tampa Bay Downs turf on March 6.

“She's doing well,” said Delacour of the 4-year-old Galileo filly, who worked a half-mile in 50.60 seconds on the Tampa Bay Downs dirt on Feb. 17. “She had a little break and has been breezing well. I'm considering running her in the Hillsborough and then take it from there.”

Magic Attitude made a victorious North American debut in September in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, part of the Turf Triple series implemented by NYRA in 2019 to showcase the best 3-year-old turf runners in the country.

The Belmont Oaks win has Magic Attitude eligible for significant bonus money should she win the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, a 10-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares to be held June 4 at Belmont; or the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, an 11-furlong test for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on Sept. 4 at Saratoga.

“We'll definitely keep in the back of our mind that the New York could be a very good spot for her with the bonus,” said Delacour. “It's very appealing because she's won at the course and going the distance, so that's definitely something we're thinking about.”

The “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the filly Turf Triple Series races – Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks – who captures the 2021 edition of the New York.

Delacour and Lael Stables combined to win the 2017 New York with Hawksmoor.

In addition, the “Flower Bowl Bonus” will provide $300,000 to the owner and $30,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of a filly Turf Triple series race who wins the Flower Bowl, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

Magic Attitude launched her career in France with conditioner Fabrice Chappet, capturing the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp in May. Following a fifth in the Group 1 Prix de Diane in July at Chantilly, Magic Attitude was sent to Delacour and promptly bested 2020 Saratoga Oaks-winner Antoinette in the Belmont Oaks Invitational.

Magic Attitude completed her sophomore season with a third in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October over good turf at Keeneland and Delacour said the talented bay would have benefited from more time between starts.

“It was probably a combination of a few things. She was coming back three weeks after the Belmont Oaks and it would have been nice to give her more time,” said Delacour. “Some horses run well right away and then it takes them awhile to acclimate well. We were at the back of the pack and a stronger pace would have helped her to close, but I think she will probably run better on firmer turf anyway.”

Delacour said Magic Attitude has maintained her good form.

“She's on the small side but well put together,” said Delacour. “I haven't seen a tremendous change in her physically. She looks good and carries good weight.”

Bred in Great Britain by Katsumi Yoshida, Magic Attitude is out of the Exceed And Excel mare Margot Did, who captured the 2011 Group 1 Nunthorpe at York.

Following a trio of dirt starts, Delacour said Lael Stables' homebred Be Sneaky, a 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, could consider the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

A maiden winner at first asking sprinting seven furlongs at Laurel Park in October, Be Sneaky followed with a third in the six-furlong Smart Halo in November at the Maryland oval. She stretched out to one mile and 40 yards in her seasonal debut when second to Curlin's Catch in the Suncoast on February 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Be Sneaky is out of the Big Brown mare Bella Castani, who won the 2013 Tweedside on the Belmont turf.

“The Suncoast was her first time going two turns so it was a bit testing for her, but I think we saw what we wanted to see,” said Delacour. “I had planned to run her on the turf and I couldn't find a race that I thought was the right fit, so we just took a shot in the Suncoast and she ran very well.

“The dam was a good turf filly,” continued Delacour. “I always had it in the back of my mind to try her on turf at least one time. The Into Mischiefs can run on any surface so I'd like to try her on turf at least once. The Florida Oaks on March 6 would be a good race to try her in.”

Delacour said Lael Stables' Arrest Me Red, who won the six-furlong Atlantic Beach in November on the Big A turf, is pointing to a return in late spring.

“We gave him a break and then he had a little setback,” said Delacour. “He hurt himself in the paddock. I don't expect to see him run before the end of the spring, beginning of summer.”

The sophomore son of Pioneerof the Nile finished fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland in October and was fifth last out on dirt in the Inaugural on December 5 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Delacour said the bay colt will likely target one-turn races on his return.

“I tried to run him at Keeneland going a mile and a sixteenth and that is clearly not his thing,” said Delacour. “He came back and ran very well going six furlongs at Aqueduct, so I think between six furlongs and a mile is what we should consider for him.”

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Jockey Club Gold Cup, Flower Bowl Both Moved To Saratoga Meet

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses. The summer meet will open on Thursday, July 15, and conclude on Monday, Sept. 6.

Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues with a minimum reserved seating capacity of 10,000 will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning on Feb. 23 with approval from the New York State Department of Health. All attendees must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event and adhere to health and safety requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing.

NYRA will continue to closely monitor New York State-issued regulations to determine how they impact Saratoga Race Course. Additional details on fan attendance and tickets for the 2021 summer meet will be provided as information becomes available.

The 2021 summer meet, which will offer at least one stakes race every live racing day, will be highlighted by the 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 28 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 7, as the anchors of two of the most prestigious racing days in North America.

The Saratoga meet will also include the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, both previously run during the fall meet at Belmont Park.

Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

Whitney Day will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the Whitney at 1 1/8 miles offering an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Completing the trio of Grade 1s on Whitney Day will be the $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies and the $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second jewel of the Turf Triple series for sophomore males in its first running with Grade 1 status. Whitney Day will also include the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares on turf, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure.

Whitney weekend kicks off Aug. 6, with the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for sophomore turf milers; the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, presented by Horse Racing Ireland, for 4-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf; and the $120,000 Alydar at nine furlongs for older horses.

Whitney weekend concludes on Aug. 8, with three stakes highlighted by the upgraded Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies. The August 8 card will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose at one mile on turf for older fillies and mares.

New York-breds will take center stage on Friday, Aug. 27, for New York Showcase Day, featuring six stakes for state-breds worth a combined $1.15 million. The lucrative card is headlined by the $250,000 Albany, a nine-furlong test for sophomores. Also featured are a trio of $200,000 stakes in the Fleet Indian for sophomore fillies; the Funny Cide, presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, for juvenile sprinters; and the Seeking the Ante for juvenile filly sprinters. Rounding out a special Empire State-bred slate are a pair of $150,000 turf events with the West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank for 3-year-olds and up and the Yaddo for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

The 152nd edition of the Travers is the centerpiece of a blockbuster day of racing on Saturday, Aug. 28. The 2021 Travers Day card will include seven stakes, including six Grade 1 events, offering $4.6 million in total purse money with automatic berths in the Breeders' Cup to the winner of the Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer [Turf], the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign [Distaff], and the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina [Filly & Mare Sprint].

In addition, the Travers Day card will also include the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward, and the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. Rounding out the signature day at the Spa is the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa for turf fillies and mares.

The traditional local prep for the Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, will be held on Saturday, July 31. It will be joined by the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. Closing out Jim Dandy weekend on Aug. 1 is the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs.

Additional upgraded races for the Saratoga summer meet include the previously listed Grade 3, $200,000 Caress, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares slated for Saturday, July 24, in addition to 20 stakes receiving a $20,000 boost to offer a $120,000 purse.

Opening Day, Thursday, July 15, will begin with a pair of graded stakes: the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call for 3-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.

Saratoga's first Grade 1 of 2021 is the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares on Saturday, July 17. The following Saturday, July 24, will see the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks take center stage.

Among the other 20 Grade 1 races at the Spa will be the $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial on July 29, and the $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup on Aug. 26 for steeplechasers; the $600,000 Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 21; and the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for the Mile, on Saturday, Aug. 14, to be held on the same card as the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite.

Closing Weekend of the Saratoga meet will feature a pair of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events previously held in the fall at Belmont Park with the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup [Classic] at 10 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and the $600,000 Flower Bowl [Filly and Mare Turf], an 11-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares, to anchor a Saturday, Sept. 4 card that also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress and the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac.

To accommodate the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl, the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya will move from Saratoga to the Belmont fall meet.

On Sept. 5, 2-year-old fillies will sprint seven furlongs in the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway.

Closing Day on Monday, Sept. 6, will feature the Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap as well as the prestigious Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful for 2-year-olds going seven furlongs to conclude the 153rd Saratoga meeting.

Beginning in 2021, the use of Furosemide (Lasix) is prohibited within 48 hours of all stakes races conducted at NYRA tracks.

To view the complete stakes schedule for the 2021 summer meet, visit NYRA.com/stakes.

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