War Like Goddess will make 2023 debut in Friday's Bewitch

Seven-time graded stakes winner War Like Goddess will make her 2023 debut when she faces five rivals in Friday’s Grade 3 Bewitch on closing day of Keeneland's spring meet in a bid to win the stakes for the third consecutive year.

The Bewitch is the eighth race with a 4:44 p.m. EDT post time on the 10-race program that begins at 1 p.m.

Trained by Bill Mott and owned by George Krikorian, 6-year-old War Like Goddess won last year’s Bewitch by 1 3/4 lengths despite a troubled trip in which she was steadied and bumped. Joel Rosario, who rode her last year, has the mount Friday and will exit post position 4.

In 2021, War Like Goddess won the Bewitch by 3 3/4 lengths with Julien Leparoux aboard.

On Friday, War Like Goddess returns to face her own gender after closing 2022 with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Keeneland and a victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1).

Leading challengers to War Like Goddess in the Bewitch are Temple City Terror and Personal Best.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Temple City Terror was a three-length winner of last fall’s Dowager (G3) going 1 1/2 miles at the Keeneland. Fourth in the Hillsborough (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs on March 11 in her 2023 debut, Temple City Terror will be ridden Friday by Jose Ortiz and break from post 2.

Personal Best, winner of the La Prevoyante (G3) in January and most recently second in the Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park, is trained by Shug McGaughey and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 5.