Veteran Temple City Terror Chasing Graded Stakes Glory in Sunday's Rood & Riddle Dowager

A couple of rivals that Pocket Aces Racing and Somewhere Stable Kentucky’s Temple City Terror has faced recently will be absent Sunday when she starts in the 31^st running of the $300,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) going 1½ miles on the grass.

War Like Goddess, who finished ahead of Temple City Terror in the Glens Falls (G2) and Flower Bowl (G2), is headed for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1); Virginia Joy (GER), winner of the Flower Bowl, is most likely headed for the $2 million Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

“She beat Virginia Joy in the Glens Falls,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “There was talk (Virginia Joy) was going to run here (in the Rood & Riddle Dowager), and it doesn’t hurt me that she’s not.”

Now 6, Temple City Terror has been with Walsh through her 27-race career in which she has earned $521,843.

“It took her 10 times to break her maiden, but once she got that out of the way, she moved forward by leaps and bounds,” Walsh said.

A winner of two stakes and three times graded stakes-placed, Temple City Terror will be seeking that elusive initial graded victory. She has done her best running on firm ground, a condition that should greet her Sunday.

“She likes this course, and she has run well on it in the past,” Walsh said. “She is doing very good right now.”

Temple City Terror is cataloged to Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale as a racing or broodmare prospect. Consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for Pocket Aces Racing, she is Hip 197.