SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y – War Like Goddess and McKulick have combined to win 19 of 38 starts, including 16 stakes, and have combined to earn more than $4.5 million.
While perhaps in the twilight of their careers, both mares are still in top form as they head into a meeting in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes at Saratoga, a race that could lead to either or both showing up in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.
War Like Goddess, a 7-year-old daughter of English Channel, is 12 for 20 in her career, including a victory in the 2021 Flower Bowl when it was still a Grade 1. After missing the Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland in April due to an injury suffered on track during training, War Like Goddess came back with a better-than-it-looks third in the Grade 1 New York and then a solid victory in the Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park.
In the New York, War Like Goddess was checked early on in the race, then got shuffled back to last around the far turn. She showed late interest and passed several horses in the stretch to finish third, 3 1/4 lengths behind Didia.
In the Robert G. Dick, War Like Goddess, as she has in many of her previous races, overcame a pedestrian pace to close strongly under Junior Alvarado and defeat Chop Chop by one length.
“She’s like a European filly,” trainer Bill Mott said. “She can close off a slower pace.”
Mott said he would have run War Like Goddess back in the Grade 2 Glens Falls here Aug. 1, but felt he just wanted to focus on the Flower Bowl and then the Breeders’ Cup in what are expected to be the mare’s final two starts.
McKulick, 7 for 18 with six stakes wins in her career, has run four times this year, winning the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream and the Grade 2 Glens Falls. In many of her losses, McKulick has been hindered by a lack of pace. In the Glens Falls, trainer Chad Brown put in a pacesetter, Royalty Interest, and McKulick came from nine lengths back under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win.
This time, Brown has Idea Generation to serve as a pacesetter. In last year’s Grade 3 Waya at Aqueduct, with only four horses, Idea Generation set the pace and held second, two lengths behind McKulick.
“Our goal is to put pace in the race from horses who have a chance to be competitive as well,” Brown said. “Royalty Interest, she won one of the races on the lead. Idea Generation nearly beat McKulick last fall. [Idea Generation] did not get a good trip in her allowance debut this year; she’s trained really well. I expect her to run much better.”
Brown said the three turns of these marathon races really benefits McKulick.
Eternal Hope won the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational and the Grade 2 Sands Point last fall at Aqueduct. She was sent off the favorite in the Glens Falls, her first start in 10 months, and faded to fourth after attending the pace.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said Eternal Hope needed that race.
“She’s definitely come forward, she needs to to become a player,” Appelby said. “She traveled well in the race, just got tired the last couple of hundred [yards]. Hopefully, that run under her belt should have her right.”
Neecie Marie won the Grade 3 Beaugay at Aqueduct and finished second in the New York. After a 10th-place finish in the Grade 1 Diana, Neecie Marie finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Moira, in the Grade 2 Beverly D. at Colonial.
Parnac, who beat McKulick while allowed to dance on the lead in last year’s Flower Bowl, came from off the pace to be second to McKulick in the Glens Falls. Christophe Clement, who tarins Parnac, also sends out La Mehana, fifth in the Robert G. Dick last time.
Millie Girl and the European invader Verbier, trained by Ralph Beckett, complete the field.
The Flower Bowl goes as race 12 on a 13-race card that begins at 12:05 p.m.
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