George Krikorian's War Like Goddess, a 6-yera-old English Channel mare ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer William Mott, won Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over male runners for the second year in a row during the Belmont at the Big A meet at a soggy Aqueduct racetrack in South Ozone Park, N.Y.
Sitting in sixth position early in the mile and one-half Turf Classic as 90-1 longshot So High opened up as much as 19 lengths on the field, War Like Goddess commenced her rally on the turn for home, collared So High nearing the sixteenth pole and drew away to the 4 1/2-length victory.
Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, War Like Goddess covered the 12 furlongs on yielding turf in 2:32.86. Soldier Rising finished second, with So High hanging on for third after setting fractions of :24.76, :49.56, 1:15.62, 1:40.94 and 2:06.42. Rebel's Romance, the 1-2 favorite, finished fourth with no apparent excuse.
War Like Goddess paid $9.60 to win. She carried 123 pounds, with her male rivals toting 126.
The Turf Classic was the 11th victory in 17 career starts for War Like Goddess, who came into the race off two defeats: a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the G1 New York Stakes at Belmont June 9 and a close second to McKulick in the G2 Glens Falls at Saratoga.
This was Mott's sixth victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, named for the longtime columnist for Daily Racing Form who died in 2009.
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