War Like Goddess

In just her fourth career start, War Like Goddess picked up her first graded stakes win. She came from behind with a dramatic rally to win the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 27, 2021, surging to nail Always Shopping in the last few strides. Julien Leparoux had the winning mount for trainer Bill Mott. She followed with a dominant victory in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes April 23 at Keeneland to record her fourth victory in her first five races.

After a few months off, War Like Goddess returned to the races with a 3 1/4-length win in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 7, 2021. She came from last and won going away under Leparoux.

Already one of the leaders in her division, War Like Goddess officially earned her spot in the starting gate for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf with a win in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes. She rated off a slow pace, then got into gear and rolled by everyone for an impressive 2 1/4-length win.

On the strength of her numerous stakes wins, War Like Goddess went off as the favorite in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 6. After sitting in last early on, she made her move as they rounded the far turn. Although she closed gamely, she ended up third, beaten less than a length by Loves Only You.

Mott gave War Like Goddess a break of nearly six months after the Breeders’ Cup. She returned for a repeat bid in the Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on April 29, 2022, and fought jockey Joel Rosario’s restraint early on in the 1 ½-mile race while sitting off of the pace. But in the stretch, Rosario turned her loose and she powered to the lead with a furlong remaining to win her 5-year-old debut by 1 ¾ lengths.

In her second start of 2022, War Like Goddess scored a repeat win in the Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 6. She was positioned well by Rosario in a stalking spot and found her best stride midway through the stretch of the 1 ½-mile race to win comfortably by 1 1/4 lengths.

The Saratoga season ended on somewhat of a down note for War Like Goddess when she went down to defeat attempting a repeat win in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on Sept. 3. She raced in traffic and at or near the back of the pack most of the way behind a glacially slow pace of :53.29 for the half mile, and 1:19.59 for six furlongs, as eventual winner Virginia Joy got away with murder and stole the race wire-to-wire. War Like Goddess settled for second by a neck as the beaten 1-5 odds favorite. 

War Like Goddess rebounded in her next start in exceptional fashion, entering the Grade 1 $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont at the Big A where she took on males and emerged victorious over a field that included Grade 1 winner Gufo, Grade 1 winner Adhamo, and the race's defending champion, Rockemperor, as well as Soldier Rising and runner-up Bye Bye Melvin. War Like Goddess ran the 1 1/2 miles in 2:27.29 to win by 2 3/4 lengths, paying $3.90 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

Mott decided to start War Like Goddess in the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 5 at Keeneland against males again rather than in the Maker’s Mark Filly and Mare Turf, stating that he preferred racing her at 1 ½ miles. The mare rewarded Mott’s decision with a late-running third in the Turf, her second third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup in as many years.

War Like Goddess opened her 6-year-old season in 2023 with a victory in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes April 28 at Keeneland, where she rallied from fourth to prevail by 1 ½ lengths as the 1-2 favorite. She subsequently finished an uncharacteristic sixth in the Grade 1 New York Stakes ending a stretch of 11 straight races in which she had finished in the top three. War Like Goddess then finished second by a neck to McKulick in the Grade 2 Glens Falls Stakes in August at Saratoga Race Course.

Entered again against males in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes Oct. 7 at the Belmont at the Big A meet, War Like Goddess dominated on yielding turf to score a repeat victory by 4 1/2 lengths and return to peak form.  

War Like Goddess was purchased for $30,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale in June 2019. Her sire, English Channel, was voted champion male turf horse in 2007.