Virginia Joy backs up Flower Bowl pace and lasts over compromised War Like Goddess
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Bill Mott said his biggest concern coming into Saturday’s $600,000 Flower Bowl at Saratoga was the prospect of a slow pace. And sure enough, those concerns came to fruition when Virginia Joy was allowed to walk on the lead, then had just enough left in the tank to fend off a belated bid from Mott’s 1-5 War Like Goddess.
Virginia Joy registered a neck decision over the troubled favorite in the Grade 2 turf fixture for older fillies and mare.
Virginia Joy, already a Grade 2 and Grade 3 winner at the 1 3/8-mile distance of the Flower Bowl, was sent right to the lead by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and was able to back the field up through splits of 26.47 seconds, 53.29, and 1:19.59 for the opening six furlongs over a firm course.
Ortiz asked Virginia Joy for her run leaving the final turn, shaking off early pursuer Coastana and moving clear through mid-stretch before holding off War Like Goddess’ game but futile closing bid.
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The snail-like pace was only one obstacle War Like Goddess had to overcome attempting to defend her Flower Bowl title. Allowed to settle at the rear of the compact lineup while saving ground for over a mile under jockey Joel Rosario, War Like Goddess had to await clearance behind traffic around the second turn, before finally finding a seam between horses upon settling into the stretch. She finished full of run but was left with just a bit too much to do.
Coastana gradually weakened after prompting the winner’s pace for a mile and one-quarter, finishing a 1 1/4 lengths behind War Like Goddess. She was followed across the wire, in turn, by Temple City Terror, Flanigan’s Cove, and Marvelous Maude.
Virginia Joy, a 5-year-old daughter of Soldier Hollow, gave trainer Chad Brown his sixth Flower Bowl win since 2014 and seventh overall. She returned $11.80 as the strong second choice in the wagering and completed the distance over a firm course in 2:19.51 and getting a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I told Irad why don’t you just put her on the lead. Unless somebody goes crazy, put her out there and see how far she goes, she’s been effective doing that before,” said Brown. “I knew she had a chance watching the fractions, I knew she had a bear, a super horse behind her ready to come at her.
“Fortunately for us she had some traffic trouble. She started her run a little later than I’m sure she wished she could have and we were able to be fortunate enough to get to the wire before her. You’re hopeful you can get away with a slow pace like that. Sometimes it works out that way and sometimes it doesn’t.”
The Flower Bowl turned out to be déjà vu for Mott and War Like Goddess, who were able to overcome a similar pace scenario to win the Grade 3 Bewitch earlier this year at Keeneland.
“I thought the Bewitch was the slowest pace I’d ever seen, I never believed it could be that slow again. You even hope for a 51 or something like that, but 53 and 1:19, it’s just impossible to overcome,” said Mott. “As they came by the stands the first time they kept slowing it down and slowing it down. He [jockey Joel Rosario] was getting a ground-saving trip but was stuck down on the rail. I’m not sure if he had a chance to get off the rail or not.
“She’s a good horse. She came flying. I don’t know how fast she came home, but she was rolling. Pace makes the race and in this case, it wasn’t meant for us.”