Tag: bill mott

Second Chances: ‘Mor’ to Come from Munnings Filly at the Spa

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Lamorna (f, 2, Munnings–Freudie Anne, by Freud) kicked off her career for Hall of Famer Bill Mott with a better-than-it-looked fourth-place finish sprinting over the Saratoga grass July 20.

Last of 10 after getting squeezed at the start, the 7-1 chance was immediately under a ride from jockey Luis Saez and caboosed the field through an opening quarter in a sharp :22.02. She began to catch the eye with a flashy, sweeping move on the far turn and was hung out seven wide as they straightened for home.

The blaze-faced chestnut continued to rally down the stretch, and, despite racing a bit greenly from there with multiple lead changes, finished only 1 1/4 lengths adrift of the very promising Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies S.-bound Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

Campaigned in partnership by Arnmore Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing, Lamorna earned a strong 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“I was so proud of her,” Arnmore Thoroughbreds's Megan Jones said. “She ran a 14 1/4 Ragozin, which is a huge 2-year-old filly number on the grass. I didn't think she had it easy, either. They came in on her at the start and the winner came out on her at the top of the lane.”

Jones, a former vice president of Team Valor International, continued, “As a baby, when they make that big move on the turn and catch up, you expect that they might flatten out and get tired, but she just kept dropping her head down and trying. I would look to see her back here at Saratoga. She came out of the race super, really good energy. And mentally, she figured out what it was all about.”

Bred in Kentucky by Fergus Galvin, Marc Detampel, Jayne Johnson and Adrian Wallace, Lamorna went through the ring twice at Keeneland, bringing $155,000 from Stoneriggs Farm as a KEENOV weanling and $320,000 from Arnmore Thoroughbreds as a KEESEP yearling.

The versatile New York-bred Freudie Anne, a half-sister to MSW Frostie Anne (Frost Giant), won eight of her 25 career starts, including the New York Stallion Series S. over the Saratoga grass and East View S. on dirt at Aqueduct.

The Munnings over Freud cross is responsible for GSW & GISP Catalina Red. Lamorna is also bred similarly to MGSW and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Om (Munnings), who was produced by a Tabasco Cat mare. Leading young Ashford Stud stallion Munnings is the sire of 26 graded winners.

“I think she's gonna be a pretty versatile filly,” Jones said. “Her mother won short and long, turf and dirt. We were just getting her started there. She's just a real pleasure.”

Jones's fledgling partnership has approximately 10 horses in training, including the 4-year-old homebred filly Poppy Flower (Lea), winner of the GIII Intercontinental S. earlier this summer at Belmont Park.

“I buy fillies as yearlings to race and to add to the broodmare band,” Jones said. “It's hard to win first out, but at the end of the day, as long as you come out of that first race feeling like you have a good individual that we can keep with us for years to come, that's what's really important to us. I am really grateful to my partners because I loved her so much (at Keeneland September) last year.”

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A Jim Dandy Of A Graded Stakes Weekend

Equine or human, history is always about the six degrees of someone in racing's world. For instance, at 100-1 Jim Dandy beat Triple Crown champion Gallant Fox in the 1930 edition of the Travers S., which only featured four entries total.

The horse who set up the longshot by engaging in a speed duel with the favorite over the mud was Whichone, a colt owned by Harry Payne Whitney (yes, that important family). And what other Thoroughbred did Whitney own? Well, that would be Upset, who did just that, when he handed the great Man o' War his only career loss. And that is a minor example of a nexus.

As part of the Saratoga weekend card, it seems fitting that Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. is the main prep for next month's GI Travers S. Horse racing, like life, always reflects irony of some type.

In this year's edition, Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) isn't going to be 100-1. However, compared to the experience of GIII Matt Winn S. victor and 'TDN Rising Star' Disarm (Gun Runner), Eclipse champion 2-year-old and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), who will be wearing first-time blinkers, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the GIII Withers S. and second in the GII Wood Memorial S., and GI Arkansas Derby star and GI Kentucky Derby third Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), the 3-year-old colt has something to prove after running second last time out in the GIII Dwyer S. July 1 at Belmont Park. The Brad Cox trainee passed the eye test in his debut at Keeneland in April and against allowance company May 21 at Churchill Downs.

Not to be missed on the Saratoga Saturday card is another race with historical connections in spades. This year's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. will feature a rematch from February's G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia in which the reigning Eclipse champion dirt sprinter and GISW Elite Power (Curlin) stepped away as GISW Gunite (Gun Runner) gave chase for second. The $900,000 Keeneland September buy built on that win with another impressive display in the GII True North S.

Elite Power | Sarah Andrew

Elite Power worked a half mile alone in :51.22 Sunday over the Oklahoma training track in a breeze that Mott indicated was similar to the chestnut's half-mile work in :51.11 on Oct. 28 over the same surface ahead of his Breeders' Cup victory. “That's him by himself,” Mott said. “He's run well off of those kind of works right before his races. He did that in Saudi. He was working :51 before he won the Breeders' Cup. He wouldn't wow anyone when he's working by himself.”

Looking elsewhere on Saturday in North America, Monmouth Park will card its own Oaks. The Grade III includes Promiseher America (American Pharoah) from Ray Handal's stable and Occult (Into Mischief), who was last seen running third to MGISW Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in the GI Acorn S. on the Belmont S. undercard.

In the wake of cancellations due to heat the past couple of days, Woodbine Racetrack will hope to run the GII Seagram Cup for 3-year-olds and up. Tyson (Tapit) will garner much attention since the 4-year-old gray colt won the GIII Dominion Day S. last time out for trainer Josie Carroll.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will have plenty of action to contribute as their program includes the GII San Diego H. and the GI Bing Crosby S., which offers a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' voucher for the GI BC Qatar Racing Sprint.

Both Del Mar races sport field sizes of 10-plus. The San Diego includes MGISW Defunded (Dialed In), who won Santa Anita's GI Gold Cup May 29 and will carry the most weight here at 125. With 12 hopefuls entered for the Bing Crosby, Anarchist (Distorted Humor) returns to California after running second to Elite Power in the GII True North S. The 4-year-old colt will face some veteran runners in G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Sibelius (Not This Time) and MGISW and '21 winner Dr. Schivel (Violence).

Rebel's Romance works at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew

Shifting to Sunday, not to be missed on the stakes slate are a pair of Grade IIs for 3-year-olds and up over the turf. Saratoga's Bowling Green S. has enticed GI Breeders' Cup Turf conqueror Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for trainer Charlie Appleby. Last seen running a well-beaten seventh in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March, the 5-year-old gelding will look to get his second half of his season off on the right foot.

“He's a well-traveled horse; Germany, Keeneland, England and Dubai,” said Appleby's traveling assistant Chris Connett. “He's traveled this trip pretty well and he's settled in good shape. He's a typical Dubawi, he's got better with age. He's a big horse that's really grown into his frame. Hopefully, we'll get to see him at his best on Sunday.”

Count Again | Horsephotos

Meanwhile the Eddie Read S. at Del Mar includes four entries from Phil D'Amato's shedrow, including MGISW Count Again (Awesome Again), winner last time out of the GI Shoemaker Mile S. May 30 at Santa Anita Park, and MGSW Balnikov (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}), who is looking to bounce back after finishing eighth in that same race. The competitive Leo Powell trainee and MGSW Dicey Mo Chara (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) goes out for a barn that won last weekend's GII San Clemente S. The 5-year-old gelding's last start yielded a finished third-place finish at Santa Anita May 13 in the GIII San Luis Rey S.

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Mott Runners Tune Up at the Spa

Godolphin homebred Cody's Wish (Curlin) tuned up for the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. with a five-furlong work over the Oklahoma dirt training track in 1:02.81 (10/12) Sunday in Saratoga.

Trained by Bill Mott, the 5-year-old was piloted through his breeze by assistant trainer Neil Poznansky, who guided the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner through splits of :26 2/5 and :38 2/5 before galloping out in 1:15 1/5, 1:27 1/5 and 1:41 3/5.

“He just let him off the bridle and he picked it right up,” said Mott.

Cody's Wish heads into the Whitney on a six-race win streak which has included victories in the GI Forego S. last August at Saratoga, the Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland, the GI Churchill Downs in May and the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. June 10 at Belmont. He will look to secure his first win beyond one mile in the Whitney, while making his first start at nine furlongs since a third-place finish in a maiden tilt at Saratoga two years ago.

Also Sunday, Mott sent out reigning champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) to work a half-mile in :51 1/5 over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for the six-furlong July 29 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H.

Elite Power was clocked with an easy opening split of :24 and change by NYRA clockers Sunday in a breeze that Mott indicated was similar to the chestnut's half-mile work in :51.11 over the Oklahoma last October ahead of his score in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“That's him by himself,” Mott said. “He's run well off of those kind of works right before his races. He did that in Saudi. He was working :51 before he won the Breeders' Cup. He wouldn't wow anyone when he's working by himself.”

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Art Collector on List of Horses Provisionally Suspended by HISA for Violating Intra-Articular Injection Rule

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has issued a new list of horses that have been provisionally suspended for violating the rules regarding intra-articular injections and it includes Grade I winner Art Collector (Bernardini).

The Paulick Report was first with the story.

Under new rules put in place by HISA that went into effect in May, horses who have had an intra-articular injection are prohibited from running within 14 days of the injection and cannot have a published workout within seven days of the injection. Art Collector, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, was injected on June 21. According to Equibase, he had a five-furlong workout at Saratoga on June 26. With the violation, Art Collector was placed on the provisionally suspended list, which requires that he not race or work out for 30 days.

He will come off the provisionally suspended list on July 21.

The HISA rules covering inter-articular injections have gone through several revisions. Originally, any trainer found to violate the rule was subject to a 60-day suspension but that was dropped when HISA determined many of the offenses were caused by confusion and that many trainers did not understand the new rules. Those rules were tweaked during the time that Art Collector had the injection and the workout. In addition to the horse being put on a suspended list, Mott has received a warning letter. Still new rules went into place on July 16. Under this set of guidelines, any trainer who violates the rules will receive a $3,000 fine for the first offense. However, the horse in question is not provisionally suspended.

After declining to publish the list of the first batch of horses that had violated the rule, HISA reversed course and published a list the next day of 19 horses who were in violation of the rule. Those horses should not have been allowed to race while on the suspension list but nine of them did and three won their next start.

The new list contains 15 names. As was the case with the first list of names that was revealed, HISA did not enforce its own rules. None of the horses on the list should have been allowed to race while suspended, but six made it into the starting gate. In the case of Celtic Treasure (Treasure Beach {GB}), he was injected on June 12 and raced twice before his suspension ended on July 12. In another case, To Kalon (Ghostzapper) ran in a race just three days after having the injection.

With Art Collector coming off the list on Friday, he should be ready to return to the races at Saratoga quickly and could point for races like the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Another option might be the GII Charles Town Classic, a race he won in 2022 and 2021. He last ran on May 5 at Churchill Downs, where he finished second in the GII Alysheba S. The biggest win of his career came in January when he won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream.

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