War Like Goddess the One to Beat in Flower Bowl

When the young horse came into the Hall of Fame barn of trainer Bill Mott, he didn't expect a whole lot. As a yearling, she went for $1,000. After some people got a look at her, Mott remembered them saying, "She's not really an oil painting."

Once she got on the racetrack, this young horse that went by the name of War Like Goddess  changed minds in a hurry.

Now a 5-year-old mare owned by George Krikorian, War Like Goddess has won eight of 10 career starts. She will look to add to her impressive résumé when she runs in the $600,000 Flower Bowl (G2T) for fillies and mares ages 4 and up at 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 3.

The race is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" program.

The winner of the Flower Bowl receives free passage into the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at a distance of 1 3/16 miles Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

War Like Goddess, a daughter of English Channel , has won both of her starts this season, the latest being the Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at the Spa on Aug. 6.

The three horses that finished behind War Like Goddess in the Glens Falls—Temple City Terror , Virginia Joy  (GER), and Flanigan's Cove —have all signed up for another try against her.

"Absolutely, she is going to be very tough," Brendan Walsh, who trains Temple City Terror, said about facing War Like Goddess. "But we are going to take a shot."

In the Glens Falls, War Like Goddess and jockey Joel Rosario won the 1 1/2-mile race by 1 1/4 lengths. It likely could have been by more if Rosario had chosen to let her loose. He didn't have to. War Like Goddess has won all three of her career starts at Saratoga.

Mott also nominated War Like Goddess for the $1 million Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2T) at a mile and a half against colts Sept. 10 and the $550,000 AGS Ladies Marathon (G3T) at Kentucky Downs at 1 5/16 miles Sept. 11.

"She's here and you don't have to move," Mott said about staying put.

And War Like Goddess won this race last summer and then finished third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

In her first start this year, she won the Bewitch Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland April 29.

Last year, War Like Goddess, who will start from post 4 in the Flower Bowl, which was a grade 1 last year, had six starts.

"I don't know, maybe that will help," Mott said about the shorter schedule and the Breeders' Cup. "She's not a great big, stout filly. I don't think she is one you want to be leading over there every three weeks."

Temple City Terror, owned by Pocket Aces Racing, finished third in the Glens Falls a year ago. The 6-year-old mare, who will start from post 6, knows her rival well enough. 

"You can't be afraid of one horse," Walsh said. "I know she is very good, but it's horse racing. War Like Goddess is very good on her day, so she probably has to have an off day or get into trouble or something."

Also entered, in post position order, are Klaravich Stables' Capital Structure , one of three trained by Chad Brown; Emory A. Hamilton's Flanigan's Cove, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey; Peter Brant's Virginia Joy, trained by Brown; Belladonna Racing's Coastana , trained by Cherie DeVaux; and Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, and Michael Caruso's Marvelous Maude , also from the Brown barn.