Channel Maker to start his second half in Bowling Green
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After chasing big prizes in the Middle East during the winter, Channel Maker, North America’s male turf champion of 2020, will kick off the U.S. portion of his 7-year-old campaign in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga.
Channel Maker completed preparations for the Bowling Green on Friday, working six furlongs in 1:14.75 over the Oklahoma turf course. Channel Maker got his last three furlongs in 36.06 seconds, with the graded stakes-winning filly War Like Goddess finishing on even terms after starting two lengths back of Channel Maker. War Like Goddess is pointing to the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls at 1 1/2 miles here Aug. 7.
Channel Maker, trained by Bill Mott, will be starting in the Bowling Green for the fourth consecutive year. He dead-heated for win in this race in 2018 with Glorious Empire. In 2019, he finished fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length. Last year, he finished fourth in the Bowling Green, but was elevated to third after being interfered with by Sadler’s Joy in the stretch.
Channel Maker came out of the Bowling Green to win the Grade 1 Sword Dancer and then the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park. Those two victories combined with his close third-place finish behind Tarnawa and Magical in the Breeders’ Cup Turf helped earn Channel Maker an Eclipse Award.
This year, Channel Maker finished second in the $1 million Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia in February before finishing eighth in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Turf Classic at Meydan.
“The Dubai race was tougher and he ran hard,” Mott said. “He put on a show for a little while and they ran him down, but they’re good horses.”
Though Mott was always planning to wait for the Bowling Green with Channel Maker, he did say the horse lost a little training time in June due to a fever.
“At least we had some work in him when he got sick instead of waiting for the last minute,” Mott said.
Mott plans on running at least two and possibly three horses in the Bowling Green, run at 1 3/8 miles. Moon Over Miami, third in the Grade 1 Man o’ War, is pointing to the race. Red Knight is possible.
Meanwhile, Mott is looking forward to getting War Like Goddess back to the races in the Glens Falls. War Like Goddess, who has won 4 of 5 races, won the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream in March and the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland in April.
“I don’t think we’ve been running against inferior horses,” Mott said. “She’s looked pretty good and doesn’t have that much experience.”
Casa Creed, who won the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 5 at Belmont, worked a half-mile in 48.70 seconds over the Oklahoma dirt course. He is preparing for the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on Aug. 6.
“He gets fit on dirt,” Mott said.