War Like Goddess

Racegoers can be forgiven a bit of deju vu when War Like Goddess (m, 6, English Channel--Misty North, by North Light {Ire}) won the GIII Bewitch S. at Keeneland Friday as it was, indeed, the third straight year she won the race. She is only the third horse in Keeneland history--and first in nearly 50 years--to win the same race at the storied Central Kentucky track three consecutive times. The five-horse field broke with recent GIII La Prevoyante S. winner Personal Best (Tapit) tumbling out of the stalls, but the...

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA) and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (KTOB) awards dinner Apr. 5 in Lexington named Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), dam of Grade I winner Malathaat (Curlin) and Grade II winner Julia Shining (Curlin), the 2022 Broodmare of the Year. Summer Wind Equine was awarded a bronze mare and foal as the breeder of Flightline (Tapit), who was crowned Champion Kentucky-Bred Horse of the Year and Champion Kentucky-Bred Older Dirt Male. Godolphin received multiple bronzes as the recipient of the P.A.B. Widener Trophy, best known...

The tone was so casual that Donato Lanni couldn't be sure quite how earnest the words had been. If he saw something interesting at a yearling sale, he was to let George Krikorian know. Still in his 20s, Lanni had first connected with the movie theater magnate when cold calling on behalf of John T.L. Jones Jr. after a Corwyn Bay (Ire) filly won a maiden in his silks. Might Krikorian breed the dam back to the Walmac stallion? He did just that and, when he came to visit the...

In a tightly-contested race for the year-end female turf championship, Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) looks to land the year's final blow and defend her title in the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar Sunday. With both War Like Goddess (English Channel) and stablemate In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), her two main rivals for the Eclipse, done for the season, Regal Glory, winner of this race last term, enters off a 10th-place finish in the GI Fanduel Breeders' Cup Mile behind Europe's best males, including winner Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})....

LEXINGTON, KY--The industry action moves back to Keeneland Monday, just two days after the Lexington oval hosted the Breeders' Cup, for the 10-day Keeneland November Sale, which runs through Nov. 16. The auction opens at 1 p.m. Monday with a single session Book 1, containing 240 head. Thirty minutes prior to that however, Keeneland offers the chance of a lifetime, a 2.5% fractional interest in the undefeated and sensational GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Flightline (Tapit). It will be part of their first metaverse experience. (Click here for full story)....

While all eyes were on where undefeated superstar Flightline (Tapit) would be slotted at Monday's Breeders' Cup draw, and overall the dirt races this weekend have gotten a bit more attention, the fields for the turf contests also bring plenty of interesting storylines. George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel) was the beaten favorite when finishing a close third in last year's GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and received that betting attention because of her utter dominance over her fellow American turf mares. This year, trainer...

LEXINGTON, KY -- With University of Kentucky men's basketball head coach John Calipari pulling the pills, unbeaten superstar Flightline (Tapit) drew post four for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic to a round of applause during Monday's Rood & Riddle Post Position Draw held at the home of the Wildcats at Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington. The 3-5 morning-line favorite will meet seven rivals in the $6-million centerpiece at Keeneland, including the talented Life Is Good (Into Mischief) (post two) and top 3-year-olds Epicenter (Not This Time) (post six), Taiba (Gun...

With unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit) leading the way, 205 horses, including 45 from overseas, and seven former or returning Breeders' Cup champions, have been pre-entered for the 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 4 & 5. The Breeders' Cup will be televised live domestically on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and FanDuel TV. Click here to view all of the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships Pre-Entered Fields. Nine horses were pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. In addition to the record-setting GI Pacific Classic winner Flightline, the $6-million...

Two Grade I winners inside an hour last Saturday: both sold as November weanlings at Keeneland, both through the same consignment. But while their shared provenance at least guarantees that you'll want to drop by the Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services draft this time round, as well, it is not as though Forte (Violence) and War Like Goddess (English Channel) can otherwise elucidate the vagaries of our business. Because while one made respectable money, the other was more or less given away. War Like Goddess, swept up in the kind of cull...

I called the elite bloodstock agent Donato Lanni last Wednesday only to tell him I'd call him again Sunday and to expect my call. I was fortunate he picked up, because he was on a golf course enjoying a rare day off following a busy Keeneland September sale where he'd purchased a number of million-dollar yearlings among many others. When we made plans to speak again, neither of us mentioned why I'd be calling. I didn't want to jinx him, with Cave Rock (Arrogate), War Like Goddess (English Channel), and...

If Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had any qualms whether his star turf distaffer could hold her own against the boys, George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel) dispelled all doubts with an emphatic 2 3/4-length score over males in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, run this year at Belmont at the Big A. Pacesetter Bye Bye Melvin (Uncle Mo) was second with Astronaut (Quality Road) checking in third, and second choice Gufo (Declaration of War), third as the favorite in last year's renewal, a dull last of...

With Breeders' Cup weekend at Keeneland right around the corner, 15 graded stakes--including seven 'Win and You're In' events--will take place throughout North America on an absolutely loaded day of racing Saturday. Five of those graded races will go down in Lexington, including a stacked renewal of the 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. The overflow field of 14 (plus two AE's)'s lone graded winner, GI Hopeful S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), bypassed last weekend's GI Champagne S. in favor of this first attempt around...