South Bend, a recent addition to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, worked five furlongs in company with 4-year-old multiple graded-stakes winner Tacitus Sunday on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Campaigned by Sagamore Farm through his first 11 starts, including a victory in the Street Sense last fall at Churchill Downs and Grade 3 placings on both turf and dirt, South Bend was acquired by a partnership group that includes Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer of Pantofel Stable.
South Bend, starting a length back of the veteran Tacitus, was clocked five-eighths in 1:00.70 and finished up on even terms with Tacitus, who stopped the clock in 1:01.15.
Mott said South Bend, an Algorithms bay, worked well in his final breeze in preparation for a start in Saturday's G1 Runhappy Travers.
“He went well. He went with Tacitus and they breezed nicely and finished up together,” said Mott. “He made up a length to the finish. We had him go out a little stronger. He's a nice horse and pretty easy to train.”
Mott said Jose Ortiz, co-leading rider at the Spa, will have the call on South Bend for the 1 1/4-mile Mid-Summer Derby, the centerpiece of the Saratoga meet being contested for the 151st time but first as a point qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby September 5 with 100-40-20-10 qualifying points on offer for the top-four finishers.
Mott said Juddmonte Farms homebred Tacitus, by Tapit and out of champion Close Hatches, continues to work well toward the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward, a 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-olds and up on September 5.
“He's good. He's been on a regular breeze schedule,” said Mott.
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's 6-year-old Canadian-bred Channel Maker ran third in Saturday's Grade 2 Bowling Green. The multiple Grade 1-winning chestnut was making his third appearance in the Bowling Green having won it in 2018 and finishing third a year ago.
“He came out of it good. He's a war horse,” said Mott.
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