Mott duo heads field of twelve for closing day Bewitch

Trainer Bill Mott’s duo of War Like Goddess and Delta’s Kingdom headlines a field of 12 fillies and mares entered Sunday for the 59^th running of the $150,000 Bewitch (G3) on Friday, April 23. The race is the closing-day feature of the 15-day Spring Meet.

The 1½-mile grass test is scheduled as the ninth race with a 5:30 p.m. post time on the 10-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m.

George Krikorian’s War Like Goddess enters the Bewitch off a nose victory in last month’s Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for the Orchid victory, has the call as he seeks his third victory in the race. War Like Goddess will start from post eight.

Mott, who has won the Bewitch three times, also will send out Delta’s Kingdom for Maram LLC. Fourth in the Orchid, Delta’s Kingdom began the year with a runner-up finish in the La Prevoyante (G3). Luis Saez has the mount and will start from post two.

Also figuring to attract support is Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and First Row Partners’ Kalifornia Queen (GER) trained by Chad Brown, who won the Bewitch in 2016 with Olorda (GER).

A Group 2 winner last year in Germany, Kalifornia Queen finished sixth in The Very One (G3) at Gulfstream in February in her U.S. debut. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount and will start from post six.

The field for the Bewitch, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Cambeliza (Hector Diaz Jr., 120 pounds), Delta’s Kingdom (Saez, 118), Three Flamingos (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Dominga (Florent Geroux, 118), Pass the Plate (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Kalifornia Queen (GER) (Gaffalione, 118), Dalika (GER) (Miguel Mena, 118), War Like Goddess (Leparoux, 120), Gun Society (Adam Beschizza, 118), Margaret’s Joy (Joe Talamo, 118), English Affair (Corey Lanerie, 118) and Court Return (John Velazquez, 118).