bill mott | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cody Makes Many Wishes Come True in Dirt Mile

LEXINGTON, KY–Godolphin homebred Cody's Wish (Curlin) made quite a few wishes come true beneath cloudy skies Saturday when rallying from well back and edging MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner) to take the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland.

The colt was named for 16-year-old Cody Dorman, who met the bay when he was just a foal at Gainsborough as part of Keeneland's Make-a-Wish day. Cody's Wish put his head in the young boy's lap, making an instant connection, and his story has touched many in the racing world. Dorman and his family were on hand all week ready to root his namesake on. Click here to read about both Codys.

“That was very special,” said trainer Bill Mott. “There's a big story behind it. Goes to show that the Make A Wish Foundation can make it very special for someone. The performance was awesome. He made a huge run turning for home.”

Favored at 2-1 off a win in the GI Forego S., Cody's Wish was unhurried early, caboosing the field as Pipeline (Speightstown) blitzed through a :22.20 first quarter with Gunite (Gun Runner) in tow and Cyberknife keeping close watch from a two-wide fourth. Cyberknife moved first as the half went in :45.71, but Cody's Wish had been popped the question as well by Junior Alvarado and began to make rapid progress up the outside. Gunite inherited the lead entering the bend with Cyberknife breathing down his neck and Cody's Wish charging up to confront them. They entered the lane three abreast and Gunite quickly waved the white flag, leaving the top two to battle it out. And they did indeed. The colts went stride-for-stride down the lane with Cody's Wish edging his younger foe late for a storybook ending to the Dirt Mile.

Longshot Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) rounded out the trifecta with Gunite holding fourth. Slow Down Andy's rider Mario Gutierrez claimed foul against Cyberknife for interference in the stretch, but the stewards left the result as is after an inquiry.

“I probably didn't have the trip that I was planning,” said an exuberant Junior Alvarado, who is a first-time Breeders' Cup winner. “He didn't break great, so I just took my time with him. I didn't want to rush him. He's a horse that can get a little rank. I took it little by little. By the 3/8th pole I was getting excited, but I knew there was a lot of race left to run. He finished up really well for me. When we turned for home, I knew I had the horse.”

A three-time winner during his 2021 campaign, Cody's Wish kicked off 2022 with a neck second in Tampa's GIII Challenger S. Mar. 12 and romped by five lengths next out in the one-mile GIII Westchester S. in the slop at Belmont May 7. Scoring by a neck next out over the re-opposing Three Technique (Mr Speaker) in Churchill's Hanshin S. July 4, the homebred came running late to take down champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in Saratoga's Forego Aug. 27, earning a gaudy 112 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pedigree Notes:

Cody's Wish became the third Breeders' Cup winner for the mighty Curlin, following GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Vino Rosso and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile scorer Good Magic and later added two more winners. While Tapit has sired several Breeders' Cup winners, this is his first as a broodmare sire. Godolphin went to $750,000 to acquire his dam Dance Card (Tapit) and the 2011 FTFFEB sale. She captured the GI Gazelle S. and was third in her trip to the Breeders' Cup in 2013 for the GI BC F/M Sprint S. Prior to Cody's Wish, she produced MGSP Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Bocephus (Medaglia d'Oro). Her recent produce includes a yearling colt by Into Mischief and a weanling filly by Street Sense. She was bred to Gun Runner this year.

Saturday, Keeneland
BIG ASS FANS BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE-GI, $910,000, Keeneland, 11-5, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.33, ft.
1–CODY'S WISH, 126, c, 4, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Dance Card (GISW, $502,200), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Tempting Note, by Editor's Note
                3rd Dam: Tempt, by Devil's Bag
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado.
$520,000. Lifetime Record: 11-7-1-3, $1,332,130. *1/2 to
Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSP, $713,903. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cyberknife, 123, c, 3, Gun Runner–Awesome Flower, by
Flower Alley. ($400,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Gold Square LLC;
B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $170,000.
3–Slow Down Andy, 123, c, 3, Nyquist–Edwina E, by
Square Eddie. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill.
$90,000.
Margins: HD, 1 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 2.16, 3.26, 17.62.
Also Ran: Gunite, Law Professor, Three Technique, Simplification, Senor Buscador, Pipeline. Scratched: Informative, Laurel River.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Channel Maker Back for More at the Breeders’ Cup

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker (English Channel) will be looking to regain his best form while making a record-setting sixth Breeders' Cup appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Saturday at Keeneland.

“The owners are very excited to give him an opportunity to run and I think he would be the first to run six times, a record, at the Breeders' Cup,” said trainer Bill Mott. “How's he doing? Well, he's doing fine…he's doing great…but is he at his best from two years ago? Or has he lost a step at 8-years-old? Perhaps, but we'll see how the race shapes up.”

The 8-year-old gelding was seventh in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf S. and was 11th in the 2018 Turf and 12th in 2019. He had his best finish of championship weekend when third after setting the pace in the 2020 Turf at Keeneland, a result which helped the Ontario-bred earn the Eclipse statue as the country's leading turf horse. A year ago, he was fifth in the Turf.

Channel Maker opened 2022 with a win in the GII Elkhorn S. and he also won the Grand Couturier S. in July, but he was off the board in the GI Manhattan S., GI Sword Dancer S. and is coming off a fourth-place effort in the Oct. 14 GIII Sycamore S.

“He still ran a good race in his last race and he does love Keeneland,” Mott said. “He was third and was beaten just a half-length in the Breeders' Cup here and he won the Elkhorn here earlier this year. According to the handicapper, there's not a tremendous amount of speed in the race and he likes to be up close to the pace. If the pace and situation are right, maybe he can get a piece of it.”

Mott will also be represented in Saturday's Turf by the ultra-consistent War Like Goddess (English Channel), a perfect two-for-two over the Keeneland lawn and coming off a win over the boys in the Oct. 8 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. The George Krikorian colorbearer has nine wins and has finished off the board just once in 12 career starts.

“She's training well,” Mott said of the 5-year-old mare. “It would be great to win with her.”

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Breeders’ Cup Notes: War Like Goddess, Domestic Spending, Tyler’s Tribe Add Intrigue to Turf Races

While all eyes were on where undefeated superstar Flightline (Tapit) would be slotted at Monday's Breeders' Cup draw, and overall the dirt races this weekend have gotten a bit more attention, the fields for the turf contests also bring plenty of interesting storylines.

George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel) was the beaten favorite when finishing a close third in last year's GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and received that betting attention because of her utter dominance over her fellow American turf mares. This year, trainer Bill Mott has decided to try to conquer new territory for the 5-year-old, as she defeated males in her first try in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Invitational S. last out and this time will take on the boys in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

The seven-time graded stakes winner continued her preparations for the 1 1/2-mile test with a gallop over the Keeneland dirt track at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“She's as good a turf horse as we've got in our country,” Mott said. “That doesn't mean she has to win on Saturday, but she's a competitor and she's done very well throughout her entire career. We've won the race a couple times and it would be really nice to win it with a filly.”

War Like Goddess seeks to give Mott a third Turf win, but first since he scored with Fraise in 1992. He also took the 1987 renewal with Theatrical (Ire). Mott explained that the decision to race her in the $4-million Turf mostly has to do with the 1 3/16-mile distance of the $2-million Filly & Mare Turf being too short for the star mare.

“First of all, it's not about the money, it's about winning. Frankly, if you win, the money follows. Sometimes I don't even know the size of the purse,” Mott explained. “With her, it happens to be the distance. I think that she's a true mile-and-three-eighths, mile-and-a-half horse and we wanted to get her in that type of race and that's what we did last time [in the 12-furlong Hirsch]. We ran her against the boys and she pulled it off. She was very good. A mile and three-sixteenths was probably just a little short for her. That doesn't mean she couldn't get up, but I think she's a little more effective [going longer] … and it is a big purse.”

In the GI Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile, trainer Chad Brown will try something outside the box with Klaravich Stables' multiple Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Sporting a record of six wins in eight career starts, the gelding figured to be among the favorites in last year's Turf, but had to be sidelined because of an injury. Now, in total, he hasn't raced in over 14 months, having most recently run second in the 2021 GI Mister D. S. in August at Arlington.

“I have thankfully good horses in my barn for him to work with, even if I haven't had the benefit of a prep race for him,” Brown said. “A few weeks ago, I started to watch him work thinking this is a possibility. I know it's a tall order, but all I can do is get him ready to run the best race I can and he's going to have to work out his own trip. We are going to find out if he needed the benefit of that prep race. It's a likely possibility that it will affect him–I'm not confused about that–but there's also a chance that he's such a brilliant racehorse that he can overcome it, especially if the dynamics of the race fall right for him.”

The Cinderella story of the Breeders' Cup is Iowa-based Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca), the undefeated and untested gelding owned by Tom Lepic and trainer Tim Martin who will contest Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Five-for-five so far in his career, all races coming over dirt, the speedy dark bay got a spin over the Keeneland turf Tuesday morning.

“We did the turf today, will walk Wednesday, go to the gate Thursday and won't go to the track Friday morning,” Martin said. “I'm quarter horse training; I want him fresh and fast!”

Tyler's Tribe drew the 10-hole in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, which Martin says is no problem.

“The 10 is fine; he broke his maiden from there,” he said. “On the dirt, he has a fast cruising speed and I'd like to see him get out of the gate good and then settle. He's a fast horse and the speed [Speed Boat Beach and The Platinum Queen] is outside of us. If they want the lead, they are going to have to go around us.”

The colt is named for the followers of Lepic's grandson Tyler Juhl, who was declared cancer free last week in his battle with leukemia.

“There are going to be watch parties all over the state and there will be about a hundred Iowans here for the race,” said Lepic, who has turned down offers for Tyler's Tribe.

“We never ever had even a thought of selling. We had a lot of awfully good offers but it was never considered,” Lepic said. “He's a family horse, a horse that means so much more than just to our family but to the Leukemia Foundation. He will stay with our family and Tim Martin his entire life.”

Tyler's Tribe also had been pre-entered in the $2-million GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but the connections opted to stay at a sprint distance and try the grass.

“He's going to Oaklawn Park right after this,” Lepic said. “They have four stakes there and we will stretch him out and see what happens.”

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GISW Olympiad to Stand at Gainesway

Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods' Olympiad (Speightstown–Tokyo Time, Medaglia d'Oro) will take up stallion duties at Gainesway Farm upon his retirement from racing. To date, Olympiad has won eight of 12 career starts, including five graded stakes victories, highlighted by the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Having already amassed over $2-million in earnings, the 4-year-old is expected to make his next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland next month.

Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Olympiad captured five graded victories this season, beginning with the GIII Mineshaft S. at Fair Grounds, where he set a track record for 1 1/16 miles. He followed up at the same track with a two-length score in the GII New Orleans Classic S. before adding a pair of wins at Churchill Downs in the GII Alysheba S. and the GII Stephen Foster S.

Bred by Emory Hamilton, Olympiad is out of the Grade III-place Tokyo Time. This is the immediate family of Grade I winner and foundation mare Chic Shirine, from whom 20 graded stakes winners descend. He was purchased from the Gainesway consignment as a yearling for $700,000 by Solis/Litt.

“I have been a huge fan of Olympiad since selling him as a yearling in 2019,” said Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves. “Olympiad has backed up his exceptional looks and pedigree with a tremendous race record. I couldn't be more excited to stand a horse of his quality and talent at Gainesway.”

An advertised fee for Olympiad's first season will be announced at a later date.

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