War Like Goddess will train up to Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - War Like Goddess got her first Grade 1 victory when she won Saturday’s $600,000 Flower Bowl at Saratoga. Now she will aim for an Eclipse Award when she makes her next start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 6.
War Like Goddess added the Flower Bowl to a resume that includes the Grade 2 Glens Falls, the Grade 3 Bewitch, and the Grade 3 Orchid to make her the most accomplished North American-based female turf horse this year. However, European-based runners Althiqa (Just a Game and Diana) and Santa Barbara (Belmont Oaks and Beverly D) are both two-time Grade 1 winners in America with the Filly and Mare Turf their year-end goals.
Trainer Bill Mott has respect, though certainly not fear, for the Europeans.
“If you’re asking me if I would trade places with anybody, maybe not right at the moment,” said Mott, who finished third with Harvey’s Lil Goil in last year’s Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland.
Mott said he would train War Like Goddess up to the Breeders’ Cup and would decide later when to ship her to California.
“Sixty days is a long time to train a horse that’s doing good,” Mott said. “Probably wish the race was six weeks instead of [nine].”
While War Like Goddess is Breeders’ Cup-bound, it remains to be seen what, if anything, Mott does regarding the Breeders’ Cup with Forza Di Oro, who finished third as the favorite in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.
“Either 10 furlongs got him or the lack of seasoning,” said Mott, acknowledging that the Gold Cup was just Forza Di Oro’s second start of the year.
Mott said he is considering running Forza Di Oro back in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at Belmont on Oct. 2. The Woodward is run at 1 1/8 miles. Mott is already preparing Art Collector, recent winner of the $800,000 Charles Town Classic, for the Woodward.