Virginia Joy steals Flower Bowl; Annapolis sails in Saranac

Virginia Joy stole a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) by toppling 1-5 favorite War Like Goddess in Saturday’s $600,000 Flower Bowl (G2), and Annapolis could be on a path to the Mile (G1) after his odds-on conquest of the $186,000 Saranac (G3). Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. engineered both front-running wins at Saratoga, with the coup aboard Virginia Joy especially skillful.

Flower Bowl (G2)

Defending Flower Bowl champ War Like Goddess has routinely overcome slow paces, including her repeat scores in the Bewitch (G3) and Glens Falls (G2) this campaign. Thus the lack of early tempo on Saturday didn’t appear to be an insuperable obstacle. Nor would it have been – if the heavy favorite had been given a better ride by Joel Rosario.

Overconfidently anchored at or near the rear, Rosario opted to probe for room between foes in the stretch, rather than go outside with the superior animal. As a result, War Like Goddess couldn’t deploy her lethal kick until far too late. The Bill Mott mare flew her final quarter in a field-best :21.72, according to Trakus, but she simply had too much to do. The wire came in time for Virginia Joy, who held on by a diminishing neck in this “Win and You’re In.”

Yet Virginia Joy deserves credit for making the most of her gift trip, and having the finishing speed to hang on. The seventh Flower Bowl winner trained by Chad Brown, the Peter Brant colorbearer went straight to the lead from the start and waltzed in :26.47, :53.29, 1:19.59, and 1:45.29 on the firm inner turf. That left her with plenty in reserve for the final three-eighths, and Virginia Joy accelerated to finish 1 3/8 miles in 2:19.51. The 4.90-1 second choice paid $11.80.

The German-bred mare was turning the tables on War Like Goddess, having placed third in the Aug. 6 Glens Falls at 1 1/2 miles last out. The slight cutback helped Virginia Joy, whose previous stakes scores had come at this trip – the 2020 Mehl-Mulhens-Trophy (G3) at Hamburg as well as the Mar. 5 The Very One (G3) and the May 7 Sheepshead Bay (G2) in a 14-length rout on yielding going. Her lone loss at about 1 3/8 miles was a close third in the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) (G1).

Virginia Joy’s nearest stalker in the Flower Bowl, Coastana, held third by a head from deep-closing Temple City Terror. Next came Flanigan’s Cove and Marvelous Maude. Capital Structure was withdrawn.

Bass Racing’s homebred Annapolis has bankrolled $592,600 from his 6-4-2-0 line. A stunning debut winner over this course and distance last summer, he fought to prevail in the Pilgrim (G2) to stamp himself as a leading Juvenile Turf (G1) contender. Unfortunately, he ended up missing the Breeders’ Cup due to a chipped ankle.

Annapolis returned in the June 3 Penn Mile (G2), only to find an unsuitably soft course and slog home second. Rebounding with a vengeance in the July 4 Manila S. over firm ground at Belmont Park, he stretched out in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby (G1) and placed second to Godolphin shipper Nations Pride. The distance, on a course that had more give than the official “firm,” was a factor, and Annapolis was back in his element in the Saranac.

“There wasn't too much speed in the race, so he controlled the race,” Ortiz summed up. “He was nice and relaxed out there the whole time and was there when I asked him to go. He was the best horse in the race.

“That's a workout for him. He's pretty nice. He just got beat by some nice horses last time and came back today in great form and was there for me the whole time.”

Annapolis was produced by the high-class My Miss Sophia, who scored her signature win in the 2014 Gazelle (G2) and finished runner-up in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) for Pletcher. The daughter of Unbridled’s Song was later switched to Mott and spent the second half of her career on turf, notably placing in the 2015 First Lady (G1) and Ballston Spa (G2).

Pletcher is looking forward to testing Annapolis at the top level over a mile.

“He’s shown up and run well in each start of his life,” the horseman said. “We just felt like he was a colt that carries plenty of condition. We had thought about training up to the Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland, but decided he was doing great and probably a race in between would suit him.

“We (think highly of him) and feel like a mile might suit him perfectly, and so we’ll see where we fit, but he’s a big, strong colt physically. He seems like the type that would handle that step up in age.”