Tag: bill mott

Cody’s Wish, Whitney Favorite From Outside Gate After Draw

Reigning GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and MGISW Cody's Wish (Curlin) was installed as the 1-2 morning-line favorite and will exit from gate six after Wednesday's GI Whitney S. draw. The 96th running of the $1 million race is set for this Saturday, Aug. 5 and it offers a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November.

Cody's Wish Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott said after the draw, “Every time you bring a horse over like this, you stand the risk of getting beat. There's always somebody that's an up-and-coming horse and we certainly respect all the competition. This is a very good horse and hopefully for our sake, he can go on. There's a great story that goes with him with Cody Dorman, so the whole scenario turns out to be very special.”

When asked about the outside post, Mott said, “He hasn't been a great horse in the starting gate, so it's probably not a bad thing for him to be on the outside–he doesn't have to wait around in there long. He's gotten just a little anxious in there and he gets a little strong-headed sometimes in the gate. It's better to be out there, I think.

Since this will be the first time that his horse has stretched out beyond a mile in over a year, Mott said, “We're just guessing [he can do it]. He closed well at a mile last time and galloped out nicely. I think it was a good effort for him.

Whisper Hill Farm's Charge It (Tapit), winner of the July 8 GII Suburban S. in his latest start, was installed the 5-1 third betting choice on the morning line. He will exit post 2.

According to Mandy Pope, “He's been training awesome, racing great. Todd [Pletcher] is very happy with him and it's just awesome to be here. I bought his mom [I'll Take Charge] as a yearling [for $2.2 million] and then raced her and bred her. This is her second foal. I bred her to one of my favorite stallions, Tapit. Everything has just come together so nicely.”

The general manager of Whisper Hill Farm, Todd Quast, added, “He's a typical Tapit. He's had a few issues. He's had some things go on. Right now, he's bounced out of the Suburban great. I think two turns and backing up a little bit will suit him perfect. Cody's Wish is the best around, but we need to make him work for it.”

From the rail out, the complete field for the Whitney S. with morning-line odds:

1) Zandon (Upstart) (9-2)
2) Charge It (Tapit) (5-1)
3) Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) (20-1)
4) Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) (15-1)
5) White Abarrio (Race Day) (6-1)
6) Cody' Wish (Curlin) (1-2)

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Cody’s Wish, Zandon Work for Whitney; Elite Power, Forte Fine Sunday

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin) had his final work ahead of the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. Sunday at Saratoga, going four furlongs in :48.28 (9/69) over the Oklahoma training track. With Neil Poznansky aboard, the multiple Grade I winner clocked the first quarter-mile in :24 2/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27.

“I thought it was perfect. If there is such a thing as a perfect work,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Neil did a perfect job. The warm-up was good, the breeze went well, he went off easily enough. He was off in :12 and 2 or 3. He came home well. He let him off the bridle a little bit at the eighth pole and he finished up his last quarter very nicely. We didn't make him gallop out too much today, obviously. We're right on top of the race.”

Cody's Wish will be looking for his seventh straight victory while seeking his first win beyond a mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, which is a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He is coming off a win in the June 10 GI Metropolitan H. and will look to be the first horse to record the Met Mile-Whitney double since fellow Godolphin colorbearer Frosted in 2016.

Another Mott trainee on a win streak, Elite Power (Curlin), who extended his string of victories to eight with a gritty victory in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. was doing well Sunday morning, according to his trainer.

“He looked great this morning,” Mott said. “I was very impressed just because I feel that when you have a sloppy or muddy track like that, it gives the advantage to the horse three in front turning for home. If you have to make up that much ground on a sloppy or muddy track, it can be difficult, so I give the horse a lot of credit for being able to do that. The horse he beat was running and he's a very good horse, too. He's in good form. I have to be pleased and I am pleased.”

Elite Power is expected to start next in the Aug. 26 GI Forego S.

Also exiting his victory at Saratoga Saturday in fine shape was GII Jim Dandy S. winner Forte (Violence).

“He came back very well and his energy level is good,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He had a well-deserved nap this morning and I liked the way he looked last night after the race and this morning.”

Forte remains on target for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. where he will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Pletcher's previous winners of the race, Flower Alley and Stay Thirsty, both of whom won the Jim Dandy before taking the Midsummer Derby.

“It's exciting and we've been fortunate that both our Travers winners came out of the Jim Dandy,” Pletcher said. “We'd love to do it again.”

Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart), also aiming for the Whitney, worked a half-mile in :49.24 (24/69) Sunday over the Spa's main track.

“The breeze went super and the horse is doing great. I'm looking forward to running him,” said trainer Chad Brown, who is in search of his first Whitney win.

Winner of last year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third in the GI Kentucky Derby, Zandon was second in last year's Jim Dandy and third in the Travers. He comes into the Whitney off a runner-up effort behind Cody's Wish in the Met Mile.

“I was very pleased with his effort [in the Met Mile],” Brown said. “He showed a lot of heart to be second. Clearly, he was second best in the race. Cody's Wish is arguably the best dirt horse in training in this country, so a lot of respect for him. Our horse is doing fine and I think he's better around two turns. He's got a tall order here. It probably won't be a big field, but it's a very strong field with Cody's Wish and some other top horses. He's got his work cut out for him, but I really like the way the horse is going and I like him at a mile and an eighth. I think that's his best distance. I'm just hoping he runs the race of his life and is able to spring an upset.”

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Mott Makes 70th Birthday A Winning One

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Arriving just in time at the wire, Elite Power (Curlin) added to Bill Mott's massive resume of Grade I triumphs Saturday and yet another birthday victory to his remarkable total at Saratoga Race Course.

With his thrilling come-from-behind score by a head over Gunite (Gun Runner) Saturday in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., the 4-year-old Juddmonte colt provided the Hall of Famer with a very nice present on his 70th birthday. By extending his winning streak to eight, Elite Power gave Mott his 24th Saratoga victory on his birthday. Since the birthday countdown started in 1992, Mott has had at least one winner in 18 of the 27 years there has been racing at Saratoga on July 29.

“It's been a productive date up until this point,” Mott said with a smile.

Elite Power was the last of Mott's six starters on the Saturday program affected by rain. By the time the Vanderbilt was run at 4:45 p.m., the main track was sealed and listed as sloppy and turf racing had been curtailed. In his first try on a wet track, Elite Power was able to collar and get his head in front of Gunite just before the wire.

After taking part in the winner's circle photograph, Tina Mott said her husband is well aware of the Saratoga birthday angle that came life when he won with his first three starters on his 39th birthday.

“I razz him about it,” she said. “Like, 'Oh, it's your birthday. You have to win a race.'”

Mott's last winner on his birthday was in 2018 and Tina Mott said he joked about it. He was 0-for-5 since Length (War Front) won a maiden special weight race on his 65th birthday.

“He's like 'all the pressure's off now,'” she said. “But he likes to always win at least one on his birthday.”

According to Equibase, Mott entered this season at Saratoga with 464 victories, 91 of them in stakes. Elite Power was his fifth winner so far and third in a stake. Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) started the stakes run this summer in the GIII Kelso S. and Scotland (Good Magic) got to the wire first in the Curlin S..

Mott saddled his first horse at Saratoga Race Course in 1984 but did not have a starter on his birthday until 1992 when he won the fourth with Missed the Storm, the fifth with Richman and the sixth with Patriot Strike. In the eighth, Tourney finished second by a head to Distinct Habit in the GIII Schuylerville S. Missed the Storm returned the next year to win the GI Test S., which was run two days after his birthday

Following his breakout birthday year, Mott won with three of five starters. He had one winner in 1994, two in 1995. Since then, he has been 0-for-the-29th eight times. In 2015, he did not have a starter on the program. On his birthday, Mott is 24 of 86, a 27.9 winning percentage. Among the wins are the 2000 Test with Dream Supreme (Seeking the Gold) and the 2006 GI Diana S. with Angara (GB) (Alzao).

Mott said he figured that his lineup on Saturday might produce another birthday win.

“I really thought I was in with some good chances, starting out in the second race and we finished second with [High Oak (Gormley)] the longest odds we had on the board. I thought we were in with the chance with a couple horses particularly there, particularly with this horse and then we've scratched the filly [Spungie (Hard Spun)] in the [ninth] race. They're off the turf. So I thought we had some chances. You Look Cold [Frosted] finish third [in the fifth]. She ran well. She gave a good effort. The main thing is that they all run well. The birthday thing, winning on your birthday is fun, but the most important thing is that we generate Grade I winners for a major stable like this horse did today. That's what it's really all about. It's about winning, winning the major races and horses like this going to the stud barn.”

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Elite Power Noses Out Gunite In Vanderbilt, Keeps Win Streak Going

Now, that's how you celebrate a birthday.

Champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) came charging down the sealed, sloppy stretch at Saratoga to nail Gunite (Gun Runner) by a head in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. on Hall of Famer Bill Mott's 70th birthday.

Racing over a wet surface for the first time, the even-money favorite was sixth though an opening quarter in :22.64. He was tipped out by Irad Ortiz, Jr. approaching the quarter pole and set his sights on the aforementioned slight second choice, who enjoyed first run and was beginning to get away. Elite Power was just getting started, however, and kept on motoring home to get there in dramatic fashion to win his eighth straight.

“It looked like Gunite certainly had the jump on him turning for home,” Mott said. “Great, great, great effort on this horse. He's a big, strong horse, heavy horse. He handled (the off track) well, but it doesn't have to be his best surface and I think it's great. There was that question beforehand. You just don't know. It's like trying a new distance for the first time. When you try a new track surface, you just don't know what's going to happen. But class came through.”

Elite Power's winning streak also includes last term's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 5, the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia Feb. 25 and the GII True North S. at Belmont Park June 10.

“For him to put up a streak like this against top competition just really boils down to him being a really good horse,” Mott said. They don't do it by accident.”

Mott added that Elite Power would likely target the GI Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 26.

Pedigree Notes:

Elite Power, a $900,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Juddmonte, is one of 54 graded winners, 20 at the Grade I level, for the mighty Curlin.

Broodmare sire Vindication, the unbeaten winner of the 2002 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Arlington, is responsible for 12 graded winners, six at the top level.

Elite Power is bred on the same Curlin/Vindication cross as GI Preakness S. winner Exaggerator. Elite Power's dam Broadway's Alibi, a MGSW & GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up and Robsham homebred, brought $2.15 million from Alpha Delta Stables while in foal to Smart Strike at the 2013 KEENOV sale. Broadway's Alibi is also represented by a Curlin colt of 2021.

Elite Power's fourth dam is champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Eliza (Mt. Livermore). This is also the family of GISW and young sire Dialed In (Mineshaft).

“(The late) Prince Khalid was the one that wanted to win the Kentucky Derby,” Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke said. “We bought this guy by Curlin out of a mare that was second in the Kentucky Oaks. That was our dream. But this is a very, very good consolation prize. That was Prince Khalid's idea and dream at the time, but now we've moved on to his sons who are taking a tremendous interest and they're the ones carrying this forward. I'm thanking them for the point of view of Juddmonte and I think it's great for the whole legacy of Juddmonte that they're carrying it through.”

 

Saturday, Saratoga
ALFRED G. VANDERBILT H.-GI, $350,000, Saratoga, 7-29, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.22, sy.
1–ELITE POWER, 126, h, 5, by Curlin
           1st Dam: Broadway's Alibi (MGSW & GISP, $521,500), by Vindication
           2nd Dam: Broadway Gold, by Seeking the Gold
           3rd Dam: Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat
($900,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Juddmonte; B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $192,500. Lifetime Record: Ch. Sprinter, 11-8-0-1, $2,635,711. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gunite, 124, c, 4, Gun Runner–Simple Surprise, by Cowboy Cal. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $70,000.
3–Dean Delivers, 120, g, 4, Cajun Breeze–Slick and True, by Yes It's True. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Stonehedge LLC (FL); T-Michael Yates. $42,000.
Margins: HD, 6 1/4, 5. Odds: 1.10, 1.20, 9.50.
Also Ran: Gun It, Synthesis, Awesome Aaron, Little Vic.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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