Tag: Keeneland

War Like Goddess Goes Back-To-Back in Bewitch

Those who swallowed the 1-5 on the comebacking War Like Goddess (English Channel) in Friday's closing-day GIII Bewtich S. at Keeneland were made to sweat it out, but the gaps finally came with time ticking away and the George Krikorian colorbearer proved best following a trip that can best be described as adventurous.

With Joel Rosario somewhat controversially taking over at the controls from Julien Leparoux aboard the 2021 Eclipse Award finalist, War Like Goddess settled in third position in a scratched-down field of just five turf marathoners, but the pace more resembled that of a Standardbred race, causing War Like Goddess to race extremely keenly, tugging for her head while behind the walking tempo passing the grandstand for the first time.

Continuing inside and still traveling freely past halfway in a near-farcical 1:19.88, War Like Goddess settled slightly better for the run into the final turn, but nevertheless was shuffled back and locked away in desperate need of daylight as they turned for home. It looked for a stride or two like she might not get out in time, but she muscled her way through with about a furlong to race and was home first.

“I was concerned about how much pace there would or would not be in the race, and there wasn't any,” said winning trainer Bill Mott. “Actually, I'm not so sure I've been in a race on firm turf that was any slower than this, so it was quite a challenge for [jockey Joel Rosario] to keep her in behind those horses and wait until they turned for home. I think Joel did well with the way it didn't set up for us, and the filly was good enough to win.”

Winning is something War Like Goddess has become accustomed to, as she was batting .750 entering Friday's title defense. Winner of the GIII Orchid S. prior to annexing this event last season, she added soft wins in the GII Glens Falls S. and GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. at Saratoga last summer and was the 23-10 pick in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Allowed to settle for the opening mile, she went for a wide, if a touch premature run, about three furlongs from home and could not quite hold on late, finishing third to Japan's Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who secured the Eclipse in the process.

 

Pedigree Notes:

Calumet Farm acquired Misty North for $30,000 in foal to Cape Blanco (Ire) at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale and it took just $1,200 for them to part with War Like Goddess at the 2017 November Sale. Bought back for the upset price of $1,000 at Keeneland September the following fall, she showed enough to fetch $30,000 at OBS June in 2019. Calumet sold Misty North for $1,000 at KEENOV in 2019 and the mare produced a colt from the second crop of Bal a Bali (Brz) in 2020, her last listed produce.

Friday, Keeneland
BEWITCH S.-GIII, $298,500, Keeneland, 4-29, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/2mT, 2:31.26, fm.
1–WAR LIKE GODDESS, 118, 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. $186,000. Lifetime Record:
GISW, 9-7-0-1, $1,079,684. Werk Nick Rating: F.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Family Way, 120, m, 5, Uncle Mo–Susie's Baby, by Giant's
Causeway. ($775,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; €150,000 3yo '20
ARQDEC). O-Hunter Valley Farm, Debra L O'Connor, and Marc
Detampel; B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh.
$60,000.
3–Core Values, 118, f, 4, Honor Code–Sweet Awakening, by
Street Cry (Ire). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($230,000 Ylg '19
KEESEP). O-BBN Racing, LLC; B-John Bates, Ron Kirk & Michael
Riordan (KY); T-Victoria H. Oliver. $30,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.20, 3.50, 24.70.
Also Ran: Breeze Rider, La Lune (GB). Scratched: Luck Money, Stand Tall.
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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Summer Anthem Added To Keeneland April Sale

Summer Anthem (Temple City), impressive winner of Friday's fourth race at Keeneland, has been added to the Keeneland April Horses of All Ages Sale, to be held following the conclusion of the closing-day program at 6:30 p.m. The 3-year-old gelding will be consigned by Gainesway, agent, as hip 104.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset for September Farm LLC and Black Fern LLC, the dark bay gelding was making his first start on turf Friday after just being beaten on the wire in a one-mile maiden allowance over the Turfway synthetic track on debut Feb. 26.

Sent off the 9-5 favorite, Summer Anthem chased in second behind a longshot runaway leader. He enjoyed first run and took over in the stretch and dug in to fend off Pancake House (Maclean's Music) by 3/4 of a length in the smart time of 1:41.61.

An $8,000 purchase at OBS January in 2020, Summer Anthem is a son of Summer of Fun (Include), third in Keeneland's GIII Jessamine S. and in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2012. She became a full black-type winner in Saratoga's Auntie Mame S. the following summer.

“He's a good-looking son of Temple City out of a mare that could really run, stakes winner and graded-stakes placed,” said Gainesway's Sean Tugel. “He showed a lot of talent in his first start and he came out today and validated that. He ran the fastest mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight race of the meet so far. He's got the ability, he's got the talent and there's no better way to prove it than to take him over to the sales ring and take advantage of the sale being here today.”

The idea was hatched while Summer Anthem was being unsaddled.

“It literally came together in about two minutes,” Tugel explained. “We were in the winner's circle and the whole Keeneland sales team was there. We kind of threw it out there and they thought it was a great idea. So we just kind of collaborated. That's one of the ideas behind the sale. We're just going to roll the dice and hopefully people appreciate the offering.”

Added Brisset: “We've always liked the horse and were looking to run him on the grass after that very good effort first out. He should have won that day but became extremely green when he took the lead. He was way more mature today and 1:41 3/5 is an extremely solid time. (Ragozin) numbers should come back in his favor.”

Summer Anthem is available for inspection at Barn 18. His post-race veterinary evaluation will be available in Keeneland's Repository.

Click here for more information about the April Sale.

 

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U S Navy Flag Filly Romps to Rising Star Honors

Love Reigns (Ire) (f, 2, U S Navy Flag–Humble And Proud {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}), backed as the 2-1 favorite on debut for Stonestreet Stables and Wesley Ward going 5 1/2 panels over the Keeneland lawn, romped to 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

Hustled to the front from her inside draw by Irad Ortiz, Jr, she raced under pressure while traveling nicely through a sharp opening quarter in :22.04. The bay began to let it out a notch rounding the far turn, kicked for home with a 6 1/2-length advantage and kept on motoring down the stretch to an eye-catching 9 3/4-length victory over stablemate Rivka (Ire) (No Nay Never) in 1:02.33.

The half-sister to Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), GISW, $977,227 becomes the third winner for her freshman sire (by War Front). The Coolmore Ireland stallion stands at Castlehyde for €12,500.

Love Reigns is the most recent progeny from her unraced dam Humble And Proud, a half-sister to English SW & MGSP Delsarte (Theatrical {Ire}).

Love Reigns was purchased by Ben McElroy for €160,000, on behalf of Stonestreet, for €160,000 at Goffs Orby.

2nd-Keeneland, $51,276, Msw, 4-29, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.33, fm, 9 3/4 lengths.
LOVE REIGNS (IRE), f, 2, by U S Navy Flag
                1st Dam: Humble And Proud (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
                2nd Dam: Delauncy (GB), by Machiavellian
                3rd Dam: Casey (GB), by Caerleon
Sales history: €160,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $27,156. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by TVG or free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Patrick Grogan (IRE); T-Wesley A. Ward.

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Exercise Rider Callie Witt Dies at Keenland

Callie Witt, 20, an exercise rider for trainer Joe Sharp, died Friday morning following a training accident on the Keeneland training track. The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. when Witt was thrown from a 2-year-old horse.

Alpha Event Medicine, the track's on-site medical team, immediately attended to her life-threatening injuries. Lexington Fire and Emergency arrived at the scene within six minutes and transported Witt to the University of Kentucky Emergency Department, where she was pronounced dead from blunt force injuries.

Keeneland Vice President of Equine Safety Dr. Stuart Brown provided this description of the accident late Friday afternoon: “At approximately 8 a.m., while performing a routine gallop of an unraced 2-year-old filly, the horse shifted her stride causing Callie to be dismounted, landing on the inner synthetic training track material.”

The horse involved in the incident has been evaluated and has demonstrated no signs of unsoundness or injury, reported Dr. Brown.

“We are heartbroken by this tragic loss,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to Callie's family, friends and our collective racing community at this difficult time.”

A native of Nebraska, Witt was studying at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and was interviewed in a 2021 TDN feature on her then-participation in the exercise riding portion of the course.

“Since I was a little girl, it's always been my dream to be a jockey,” she said. “My parents' big thing was that I had to have a degree in something to fall back on, so I was really lucky to find this type of program where I can continue my passion for horses, learn how to ride, and still get a degree.”

   Added Sharp: “We are devastated by the loss of Callie as she has grown near and dear to our barn. Callie aspired to be a jockey and was about to graduate from the North American Racing Academy. She had been making great progress toward her goals and had a work ethic that was second to none. She was unique … you don't see many in her generation with that level of grit and determination. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family.”

   Prominent horseman Carlo Vaccarezza has set up a GoFundMe page for Witt that can be accessed here.

 

 

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