By Joe Bianca
She keeps getting better, and Saturday, George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel) will get her first chance at a Grade I victory as a likely overwhelming favorite in the 1 3/8-mile GI Flower Bowl S., which will be run at Saratoga for the first time after a 43-year run at Belmont.
Bought for just $30,000 at OBS June in 2019, the bay debuted going nine furlongs on the Churchill turf last September at Churchill and rallied from second-last to take over late, and she validated that explosive late rally with a last-to-first success going this distance there next out. Given some time off, she suffered her only career defeat thus far when running fifth after being marooned behind a slow pace in the GIII The Very One S. Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, but bounced back with a powerful finish to get up by a nose in the GIII Orchid S. a month later in Hallandale. Keeping it rolling with an explosive 3 3/4-length triumph over 12 panels in the GIII Bewitch S. Apr. 23 at Keeneland, she got another brief break before returning with a devastating 3 1/4-length victory in the local GIII Glens Falls S. Aug. 7.
“It's all a test, right? These are tough horses but the goal is to try and win a Grade I with her,” trainer Bill Mott, looking to win his fifth Flower Bowl, told the NYRA notes team. “She's done quite well and handled every step so far, so we hope she move another step forward and accomplish this.”
The victor of a record six Flower Bowls, including a remarkable five of the past seven runnings, Chad Brown starts a pair here. My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) could not run with the favorite when second in the Glens Falls, but just missed by a head in this race last year, while Great Island (Scat Daddy) continues to improve, picking up her first graded stakes tally in the GIII WinStar Matchmaker S. last out July 17 at Monmouth.
Adding some international intrigue is Jean-Claude Rouget's American Bridge (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). The Peter Brant colorbearer most recently shipped out of France for the first time in her career and was rewarded with her initial group stakes score in the G3 Premio Del Giubileo at San Siro in Italy June 27.
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