War Like Goddess takes on males for first time in Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – War Like Goddess’s narrow defeat in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl at Saratoga remains a painful memory for trainer Bill Mott.
“Ouch, it really hurts,” Mott said. “I’ve been limping ever since.”
Saturday, War Like Goddess will attempt to make her trainer feel better as well as establish her rank in the Breeders’ Cup Turf division when she faces males for the first time in the Grade 1 $500,000 Joe Hirsch Stakes at Aqueduct.
The Joe Hirsch, named for the legendary Daily Racing Form columnist who died in 2009, is one of three stakes on an 11-race Aqueduct card that includes the Grade 2 Vosburgh for dirt sprinters and the Grade 3 Matron for 2-year-old fillies on turf.
War Like Goddess, a winner of 8 of 11 career starts, is near the top of the female turf division. In three starts this year, she won the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland and Grade 2 Glens Falls at Saratoga. She was 1-5 in the Flower Bowl, but under Joel Rosario got stuck down on the inside and was farther off the pace than she should have been behind Virginia Joy, who set pedestrian fractions and held off War Like Goddess by a neck.
“When he made that decision to go to the rail, he was there and they came up outside of him and now you’re stuck there,” Mott said of Rosario.
The $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf became a target for War Like Goddess since Mott learned that this year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland is being run at 1 3/16 miles. a distance he feels is too short for War Like Goddess. The Joe Hirsch and BC Turf are both run at 1 1/2 miles.
Mott also chose to run War Like Goddess in the Joe Hirsch because the mare has raced only three times this year. She missed the New York Stakes at Belmont Park in June due to a minor physical issue and then was looking to run in another race in July at Belmont that did not fill.
“I think it’s an important race in it’s own right,” Mott said of the Hirsch. “As lightly raced as she is this year, we could run her there and still have something in the tank for the Breeders’ Cup.”
With Rosario committed to ride at Keeneland on Saturday, Jose Lezcano has picked up the mount on War Like Goddess, who will break from post 2.
Rosario is also the regular rider of Gufo, who is running in the Joe Hirsch under Junior Alvarado. Gufo won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga in August, then came back two weeks later and got beat a nose in the Kentucky Turf Cup.
Trainer Christophe Clement was uncertain whether to run Gufo in this race until he saw how he trained.
“He looks well,” Clement said. “He’s very sound.”
Gufo has made his last two starts with blinkers, which have helped keep him closer to the pace than he was in some of his earlier races this year. Still, Clement says blinkers is a race-by-race deal with Gufo, who wore them in four of six races last year.
“The blinkers give you a little more power,” Clement said. “The problem last year is the blinkers almost had the wrong effect by the end of the year. When I ran him in New York, he was slightly more anxious than I like, and in the Breeders’ Cup he was very much on the muscle. . . . He’s not consistent with the way he reacts to the blinkers. I reassess every race.”
Gufo will be making his first start at Aqueduct since he finished third in his career debut three years ago.
Clement also sends out Soldier Rising, whose speed figures are on the improve. He was beaten one length by Gufo in the Sword Dancer on Aug. 27. In his lone start at Aqueduct, Soldier Rising ran terrific in last November’s Red Smith, finishing a rallying third, beaten a half-length.
“He galloped out in front,” Clement said. “He finished remarkably well. He was a 3-year-old against older horses. As long as he’s got a clear run from the quarter pole to the wire he should be fine.”
Manny Franco rides Soldier Rising.
Chad Brown has entered the pair of Adhamo and Rockemperor, both of whom are coming off poor efforts over “good” turf in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. Brown said both horses are better on firm ground. This area was hit with four inches of rain from Saturday through Wednesday.
Further, Brown noted that Rockemperor would prefer to be running at Belmont Park, where he won last year’s Joe Hirsch.
Trainer Graham Motion will try to steal the Hirsch with Bye Bye Melvin, who comes off a wire-to-wire third-level allowance win at Saratoga, his second start off a 14-month layoff.
Astronaut, who previously raced in California for John Shirreffs, will make his first start for Tom Albertrani in this spot.
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