An American classic winner at 3, War of Will is now a grade 1 winner on grass at 4. The son of War Front who captured last year's Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course showed his versatility July 10 by outrunning longshot Parlor and favored Raging Bull in the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.
Unlike the Preakness last year, when he rode the rail to victory, an outside draw in post 10 dictated a wider trip. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione placed War of Will in third early in the three path as stretch-out turf sprinter High Crime raced unopposed on the lead, setting fractions of :23.17 and :46.91 over the first half-mile.
Still three wide on the second turn, War of Will followed pace-pressing Parlor, who turned up the heat on the leader with six furlongs in 1:11.09. As the field hit midstretch and Parlor took command, it seemed as though War of Will might fall just short.
But Parlor, as he has done at times, appeared to lose focus upon striking the front, allowing War of Will the opportunity he needed. The Mark Casse trainee took advantage, surging late to edge him by a nose, stopping the clock with a mile on firm turf in 1:34.55. He returned $13.80 for a $2 win wager.
A 6-5 choice, Raging Bull, who beat War of Will this year in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park, settled for the show, another neck back, his late rally not having its usual impact. Group 1 winner Without Parole was fourth.
Feeling that War of Will had been too keen in his previous two races, Casse removed the blinkers Friday. It seemed to do the trick as the colt did not pull at his rider as he had in his season debut when he finished fifth in the Shoemaker Mile.
"I think getting the last race out of the way, get the start into him, get the nerves out, and I think taking off blinkers today helped him," Gaffalione said. "He relaxed beautifully going around there. And when I called on him, he really finished up nicely."
The Maker's Mark was the fourth graded stakes victory for War of War and his first on turf.
"It was an unbelievable race, and we're elated. It was a big win for the whole team," said assistant trainer David Carroll, who saddled War of Will.
Last year, War of Will took the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in the early part of the year before his Preakness victory in mid-May. The Preakness came after a troubled seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.
He tailed off over the second half of his 3-year-old year, hitting the board just once in his final four starts when third in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing.
Bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings, War of Will is out of the stakes-winning Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity, a half sister to multiple grade/group 1 winner Spinning World, a son of Nureyev who took the 1997 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). Visions of Clarity also produced Irish group 1 winner Pathfork and stakes winner Tacticus.
Justin Casse, the trainer's brother, secured War of Will for US$298,550 from Oak Tree Farm's consignment to the 2018 Arqana May 2-Year-Old Breeze-Up Sale. The colt failed to meet his reserve when bidding stalled at $175,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was part of the Lane's End consignment.