McKulick upsets War Like Goddess in Glens Falls under nifty ride by Irad Ortiz Jr.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown has had a roster of accomplished female turf horses who, as they got older, were able to run farther distances than earlier in their careers. That group includes Breeders’ Cup winners Dayatthespa, Stephanie’s Kitten, and Zagora.
On Thursday, at Saratoga, distance was not an issue for McKulick as she ran down heavily favored War Like Goddess to win the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes by a neck.
It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Amazing Grace, who got third by a head over Sopran Basilea. Past the wire, jockey Manny Franco pulled up Sopran Basilea, who suffered a catastrophic injury to her right foreleg and had to be euthanized on the course, according to the New York Racing Association.
Vergara finished fifth, followed by Virginia Joy and Elegant Taste.
McKulick, a 4-year-old daughter of Frankel owned by Seth Klarman, was named by trainer Chad Brown to honor the first employee he ever hired, Mary McKulick, who passed away in 2020.
“She was a really integral part of the foundation of my company, I really wouldn’t be standing here today if I didn’t have someone with her expertise in bookkeeping and organization and management of a training operation,” said Brown, who was accompanied in the winner’s circle by Mary’s husband Rob.
Thursday, specifically, Brown might not have been standing in the Saratoga winner’s circle if not for a smart ride by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Though last with a half-mile to run, McKulick was only 4 1/2 lengths off the pace, established first by longshot Elegant Taste and then Vergara.
Ortiz was following War Like Goddess, who was rank early and much closer to the pace than usual under Joel Rosario.
Despite her early aggressiveness, War Like Goddess had clear sailing in the stretch and was able persevere past Vergara inside the sixteenth pole. But Ortiz had McKulick three wide and in the clear and she ran by War Like Goddess inside the final yards for the win.
McKulick won for the fourth time in 11 starts. At 3, she won two legs of the New York Racing Association’s Triple Tiara series.
Thursday, Brown credited Ortiz with riding “a masterful race,” following War Like Goddess.
“He carefully stayed behind her, when she came off the rail down the backside before the final turn, Irad cleverly got off the rail as well and just followed her and stayed away from the horse [Elegant Taste] that was stopping on the rail. All his moves, particularly that one down the backside, really made the difference today.”
Ortiz said longer distances may actually benefit McKulick.
“At the shorter distances, the horses kick away from her and it’s hard for her to catch up with them,” he said. “She doesn’t have that turn of foot, but she always comes running late. For these kinds of longer races her style is great.”
McKulick covered the 1 1/2 miles over firm ground in 2:27.05 and returned $10.40 as the second choice.
War Like Goddess had won the last two runnings of the Glens Falls. She was coming in off a disappointing sixth-place finish in the New York Stakes. Typically a closer, War Like Goddess was up close Thursday and she was tossing her head about early on, wrestling with Rosario.
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“He might have niggled at her a little bit away from the gate just to get her up in the race a little bit and I think it cost him because I think she started pulling,” Mott said after watching the replay. “Maybe she would have started pulling anyway, but going around the first turn that was ugly.”
The loss put a damper on an otherwise good day for Mott, who won three races on the card and has nine for the meet.
The victory by McKulick was the 15th for Brown, tying him atop the standings with Linda Rice.
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