War Like Goddess made history in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) movie Oct. Aqueduct race track and pave the way for her to potentially earn more in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup World Championship next month.
The English Channel’s 5-year-old daughter George Krikorian, who is coached by Bill Mott, single-handedly beat six male competitors in the Turf Classic 1 1/2 mile and will now be aiming for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf ( G1T on November 5) ) at the same distance at Keeneland.
Already a 1st place winner at 1 3/8 mile and a double ranked winner at 12 distances, War Like Goddess was given a patient, stalking ride by Jose Lezcano. They are easy to follow behind the pacesetter Bye Bye Melvin and long shot Astronaut until the beginning of the track where she easily crosses the finish line to win by 2 3/4 of the length. Bye Bye Melvin came in second and 67-1 Astronaut came in third by going above Rockempang . The final time is 2:27.29.
“This little one was easy to ride,” Lezcano said. “I wanted the position at the start of the race, and number 1 (Goodbye Melvin) and number 4 (Astronaut) went, so I sat right there. . I stepped aside and stayed there all the way. Very easy to get there, only seven horses.
“She’s a very good mare, and she does everything right. When I asked her, she gave me her race. She’s a very good horse. When you ride Billy’s horse. , you always have a chance of winning this kind of race,” he said.
Jockey Feargal Lynch, aboard the Bye Bye Melvin, said he was proud of the performance of Alex Campbell Jr’s 5-year-old son. Uncle Mo who was trained by Graham Motion.
“He was picking it up and making everything right. We just got run down by a nice horse,” Lynch said. “He kept galloping all the way. He’s a good horse, and he belongs here. I’m just glad he showed how good he is.”
War Like Goddess, a 4-5 game favorite, improved her record to 5-eat-5 at the 1-and-a-half mile. The last woman to win Joe Hirsch was the brilliant All Along, who won in 1983 when the stakes were last contested at Water troughs and is called Turf Classic. The list of distaff winners also includes April Run, Anifa and Waya.
Now, she has the chance to join an exclusive club of women who have won the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Club members include Pebbles (1985), Miss Alleged (1991), Find (2015), Allow (2018) and Tarnawa (In 2020).
“I always thought she belonged,” Mott said as she brought War Like Goddess to the field. “There are good horses and she can come out ahead, but I think she deserves a chance, for sure. I don’t think we’re out of line. Her chance. She’s not. do nothing wrong.”
War Like Goddess was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farms from Northern Lights winner Foggy North . The mare has a 2 year old foal by Bal a Bali Named North Bali and bred as Curlin This year.
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