2022 Flower Bowl Betting Odds and Contenders Preview
The $600,000 Flower Bowl is one of the most important turf races of the year for older fillies and mares. The 1 ⅜ mile race not only offers a huge purse, but also an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) for the winner of the race. Flower Bowl winners often perform well at the Breeders’ Cup, so this is not only a great betting opportunity but also an excellent preamble to the Breeders’ Cup.
War Like Goddess won last year, and she will try to become the first two-time winner since Stephanie’s Kitten won in 2014 and 2015. In her way are six other foes including Temple City Terror, Virginia Joy, and Flanigan’s Cove: the next three horses behind her last month in the Glens Falls (G2).
Flower Bowl 2022 Information
Race Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
Track: Saratoga Race Course
Post Time: 5:09 p.m. Eastern time
Distance: 1 3/8 miles on turf
Age/Sex: fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
Where to Watch: TVG.com
Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing
Flower Bowl Odds
Saratoga drew the Flower Bowl on Wednesday, August 31 and published the morning line the next day. Even though the morning line is not guaranteed come the time of the race, since the real odds are based on actual wagers on the field, the line is a strong indicator of which runners are likely to take money and which will be long shots.
These seven horses are entered to contest the 2022 Flower Bowl. They are listed in order of post position, and accompanied by trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Structure | Chad Brown | Jose Ortiz | 15-1 |
| 2 | Flanigan's Cove | Shug McGaughey | Javier Castellano | 12-1 |
| 3 | Virginia Joy | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 7-2 |
| 4 | War Like Goddess | Bill Mott | Joel Rosario | 2-5 |
| 5 | Coastana | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Lezcano | 30-1 |
| 6 | Temple City Terror | Brendan Walsh | Luis Saez | 8-1 |
| 7 | Marvelous Maude | Chad Brown | Manuel Franco | 20-1 |
Make sure to stay tuned to FanDuel TV for the latest news on all the contenders for the Flower Bowl. Our up-to-date reporting will help you not only track the odds, but also give you the information you need to make smart betting decisions.
Keeping track of the news and the odds as post time draws closer can help you make the smartest wagers. After all, if a horse you expect to be favored is not taking money, you will have the knowledge to determine whether you are still getting value or if there is a reason to downgrade the horse’s chances. On the other hand, if a likely longshot ends up taking a lot of money, you will have the information you need to decide if there is actually a reason they should be a leading contender, or if they are just an underlay.
Flower Bowl Prep Results
Four of the seven runners in the Flower Bowl come out of the Glens Falls (G2), a race that covers a furlong more than this race. War Like Goddess, the 2-5 favorite, settled a few lengths off the pace, made her run, and stayed on well to win by 1 ¼ lengths over Temple City Terror, who had good late interest but proved second best. Virginia Joy was just outkicked, finishing half a length behind Temple City Terror. Flanigan’s Cove, making her first graded try in the Glens Falls, made an early move but flattened out to finish fourth.
All three other contenders prepared in allowance company. Capital Structure closed to win a second-level race over the same course and distance as the Flower Bowl on July 31, winning by two convincing lengths. Coastana comes from the same race but didn’t have the same kick, and finished fourth beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Capital Structure. Marvelous Maude worked through her New York-bred conditions last year and this year, won an open first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles at the Spa on July 30, and now tries stakes for the first time.
Flower Bowl Contenders
Capital Structure: The first of three Chad Brown entrants, she tries stakes company for the first time since finishing fifth in the American Oaks (G1) in 2020. Her career has been more layoff than on-track, but it is a good sign that she stretched out to 1 ⅜ miles for the first time, won comfortably, and now returns reasonably quickly. She needs a step up from that against this company, but her barn is well-proven with older mares going long distances on turf. The question is pace; she is a closer and there is not a lot of speed in this.
Flanigan’s Cove: She has strong form in longer allowance races, but found herself out-finished against several of these in the Glens Falls last out. She is at least tactical enough to win from a stalking spot sometimes, which is a positive in a race like this without a lot of pace. And, it is interesting that the typically cautious Shug McGaughey keeps her in graded company instead of waiting for the two-other-than.
Virginia Joy: The second of the Chad Brown brigade, She makes her second start off a freshening. Her form has been good this year: she won graded stakes at this distance at Gulfstream and Belmont, was beaten only a length in the New York (G1), a race a bit too short for her, and then ran third in the Glens Falls. She will have to improve to turn the tables on War Like Goddess, but if Irad Ortiz decides to get aggressive in this paceless affair she could be the spoiler.
War Like Goddess: The class of the field, she has won eight of her 10 career starts, and missed by only half a length in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last at this distance against better horses last year. She has been sharp in both outings this year, and comes into the race as squarely the one to beat. This tactically versatile mare is also perfect in three starts at Saratoga, where she has bucked its “graveyard of favorites” trend.
Coastana: She has found a tough place to make her graded stakes debut. She won over this course and distance on August 6 of last year, closing into a slow pace to score in a first-level allowance. She was off for about a year after that, and then flattened out late for fourth in that allowance against Capital Structure. She has upside second off the layoff and it is good to see her back in short order. It is also good that she was able to close into a slow pace in the allowance two back, but these are much better foes.
Temple City Terror: She ran well in the Glens Falls last out, but was no match for divisional leader War Like Goddess. Her running style may be a liability, as she is a confirmed closer. However, she was able to sit closer than usual last out and keep on going for a share, with the slow pace in front of her. Saratoga suits her, as she has hit the board in both of her efforts over the track. In short, there is no compelling reason for her to turn the tables on War Like Goddess, though another money finish would be no shock.
Marvelous Maude: The Chad Brown third-stringer, she won her first try against horses bred outside of New York on July 30 despite a troubled trip, and despite having a slower pace to chase than she typically wants. However, this is a serious step up from a first-level allowance, and she has never gone past a mile and an eighth. Brown typically has a touch for finding out which horses want to stretch out, and the Slumber on top is a good sign, but she needs to improve a lot.
Flower Bowl Past Winners Past Performances
This race is in a spot of establishing a new identity. It was long run at Belmont, and it carved out a spot on the calendar at the end of September or the beginning of October, a 1 ¼-mile prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. However, in 2021 the race was moved to its current place closing weekend at Saratoga, making its previous history significantly less meaningful since its spot relative to other prep races is different.
War Like Goddess, who won the Flower Bowl in its first year in its new spot, won the Bewitch (G3) in April at Keeneland and then the Glens Falls in August at Saratoga before winning the Flower Bowl. This year, Bill Mott prepped her in the same two races.
Flower Bowl Undercard
The Flower Bowl is part of Saratoga’s massive 13-race card on Saturday. Carded as the 10th race on the card, it is one of two Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In events, the other being the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). The card also features a third graded event for turf sophomores, the Saranac (G3). With top horses running all day long, it is an excellent day to tune in and bet the races all day long with FanDuel and TVG.com!
Saratoga Race Course
Based in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Race Course is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. John Hunter, who became the first chairman of The Jockey Club, and William R. Travers built the horse racing track in 1864.
Saratoga has two popular nicknames—The Spa, named for the nearby mineral springs, and the Graveyard of Favorites, named for the historic upsets recorded there in years past. Perhaps most notable is Man o' War’s only defeat in 21 starts, Secretariat’s loss to Onion after winning the Triple Crown, and Rachel Alexandra losing there in her four-year-old season.
There are three separate horse racing tracks at Saratoga: a main dirt track; an outer turf track known as the Mellon Turf Course, and an inner turf horse racing track. The main dirt track has a 1 1/8 mile circumference, the Mellon Turf Course is a 1-mile turf track and the inner turf track is 7 furlongs. Additionally, there is the Oklahoma Track, used for morning training.
Flower Bowl FAQ
Q: When is the Flower Bowl?
A: Saturday, September 3, 2022, at 5:09 p.m. Eastern time.
Q: Where is the Flower Bowl?
A: The Flower Bowl takes place at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Flower Bowl?
A: Chad Brown leads all trainers with six wins in the Flower Bowl between 2011 and 2019. He has three chances for another victory this year with Capital Structure, Marvelous Maude, and Virginia Joy. Bill Mott (War Like Goddess) has won five times, and Shug McGaughey (Flanigan’s Cove) has won twice.
Q: Who is the favorite for the Flower Bowl?
A: War Like Goddess is the 2-5 morning line favorite in the Flower Bowl. She is the most consistent horse with the classiest form, and deserves to be favored.
Q: Who is the best Flower Bowl jockey?
A: John Velazquez leads all riders with five Flower Bowl wins, though does not return for this year’s event. Among riders this year, Irad Ortiz, Jr. (Virginia Joy) has won three times, and Javier Castellano (Flanigan’s Cove), Jose Lezcano (Coastana), Jose Ortiz (Capital Structure), and Joel Rosario (War Like Goddess) have each won once.
Q: Who won the Flower Bowl in 2021?
A: War Like Goddess won the Flower Bowl in 2021 for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Julien Leparoux. She returns to the field this year, still trained by Mott but ridden by Joel Rosario.
