How to bet the 2022 Bewitch Stakes

A total of seven fillies and mares will travel 1 1/2 miles on the Keeneland turf in Friday’s $300,000 Bewitch S. (G3). The closing-day feature is led by the superb #4 War Like Goddess (3-5), who will commence her 2022 campaign in this affair.

Trained by Bill Mott, the five-year-old won four graded stakes in succession last season, led by a Flower Bowl S. (G1) triumph, and she capped her outstanding 2021 with a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

The English Channel mare dominated in this event last year, and she looms as a most formidable foe with anything resembling her top showing. She might not be fully cranked for this event first off the shelf, though it’s impossible to go against her as the class standout in the cast. Joel Rosario picks up the mount atop the exquisite Kentucky-bred.

Group 3 heroine #2 La Lune (8-1) has exotics appeal to me at a fair price. The Eddie Vaughan trainee didn’t fire on the All-Weather at Woodbine in her most recent assignment, but the capable chestnut returns to the lawn and she ran fairly well in her lone local outing when an even sixth in the Dowager S. (G3) on the course in October.

The Champs Elysees six-year-old will be equipped with blinkers for the first time on Friday, and she ran a big one the most recent time that she ran off the bench. Adam Beschizza will pilot the intriguing British-bred.

I will also dabble with the consistently good #6 Luck Money (5-1) in my vertical plays. Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the five-year-old daughter of Lookin at Lucky has won or placed in each of her three lifetime tries on the course, which includes a half-length setback in the Dowager S. (G3) here in the fall. The dark bay homebred goes for a high-percentage layoff conditioner who will likely have her quite fit for the affair. Irad Ortiz riding adds obvious appeal.

Bewitch Wagers

• $25 exacta 4 with 2 ($25)
• $10 trifecta key 4 with 2, 6 ($20)