War Like Goddess comfortable winner of Bewitch for third straight year
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – War Like Goddess served notice she’ll be a major force once again in the filly-mare turf division as Keeneland closed its 2023 spring meet Friday with the 61st running of the $300,000 Bewitch Stakes.
Confidently ridden by Joel Rosario while always full of run, War Like Goddess won the Bewitch for the third straight year, a Keeneland rarity. Only two horses in the track’s 87-year history had won the same stakes three times in a row, those being Royal Harmony in the Fayette (1969-70-71) and Knight Counter in the Ben Ali (1972-73-74).
War Like Goddess, a 6-year-old English Channel mare owned by George Krikorian, now has won 10 of 14 career starts and $2,158,184. She paid $3 as a heavy favorite after finishing the 1 1/2-mile distance in 2:32.11 over a turf rated yielding, finishing the final quarter-mile in less than 24 seconds.
“She might be as good or better than she’s ever been,” said her trainer, Bill Mott. “She’s just a really special filly. Horses like her don’t come along all that often.”
War Like Goddess, a divisional Eclipse Award finalist in 2021 and 2022, was making her first start since finishing third versus male rivals in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland. Mott has not yet committed as to whether she’ll try the BC Turf at Santa Anita in November, but the way the mare looked in easily turning back Temple City Terror in the Bewitch, it would hardly be an unreasonable goal.
On a mostly cloudy afternoon, and with just five fillies and mares going postward, Personal Best set a relaxed pace for the first mile of the Bewitch. Midway through the turn, when challenging Personal Best without urging, Rosario let out a notch as his mount glided away with ease before turning back a brief upper-stretch bid from Temple City Terror in winning by a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths.
“I started asking her a little after the half-mile pole and she picked it up,” said Rosario. “I picked my spot around the three-eighths pole and she did the rest.”
After Temple City Terror, it was another 11 lengths back to Personal Best in third. Ensemble and Chaton Rouge completed the order. Sopran Basilea was an early scratch.
The $2 exacta (4-2) paid $6.78 and the $1 trifecta (4-2-5) was worth a mere $3.90.
Gaffalione, Ward win titles
Tyler Gaffalione rode three winners on the 10-race closing-day card to earn the riding title by a 21-18 count over Luis Saez. The jockeys entered the day deadlocked atop the local standings.
Wesley Ward was the leading trainer with 12 wins, one more than Brad Cox.
* Churchill Downs starts its 44-day spring meet Saturday night with a 10-race card anchored by the Roxelana for filly-mare sprinters.
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