Breeders’ Cup: Mott says champs face no pressure to repeat

Arcadia, Calif.

Cody’s Wish and Elite Power already have won championships. On the verge of potential repeats Saturday in their divisions and in the Breeders’ Cup, one might think connections would feel extra pressure to deliver final victories before breeding careers move forward.

“No, really, there’s not much pressure with these horses,” their Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Wednesday. “They both have had great careers. They’re both Breeders’ Cup winners. They’re both multiple Grade 1 winners. The pressure’s off.”

Yes, Mott wants to win with these two, and bettors are forecast to bring their own high expectations to the weekend. Both are 9-5 morning-line favorites in their races, Cody’s Wish in the Dirt Mile and Elite Power in the Sprint.

Mott, 70, is a 12-time Breeders’ Cup winner, most notably in 1995 when Cigar won the Classic. Even though Cody’s Wish and Elite Power gave him his first triumphs in the championship meet since 2016, he has the perspective of a successful horseman who has been around more than a few blocks before.

In other words, pressure schmessure.

“These horses are poised to get ready for their new career,” he said Wednesday in the shippers barn at Santa Anita. “We would love to have them both go out on a winning note. That would be great. But they’ve pretty well established themselves already as far as their quality and their abilities.”

It sounded a lot like having a child graduate from high school already fitted with firm plans for college. These two 5-year-old horses will begin their breeding careers for their current owners on separate farms in Lexington, Ky. Cody’s Wish will stand for a yet-to-be-determined fee at Godolphin’s Jonabell Farm. Elite Power will command $50,000 at Juddmonte Farm for each standing and nursing foal he sires.

Still, each has a final assignment on the main track this weekend at Santa Anita. That is where Cody’s Wish and Elite Power will race for the first and last time.

“Naturally, we want to win. That’s why we’re here,” Mott said. “As far as worrying whether or not they’re going to become a championship candidate, I mean they’ve already established themselves.”

Cody’s Wish went 4-for-5 last year and is 3-for-4 this year, having won last out in the Vosburgh (G2) on Oct. 1 in New York. The son of Curlin also won the Churchill Downs (G1) and Met Mile (G1) before trying a longer distance only to finish third in the Whitney (G1).

After winning his last five races in 2022, Elite Power extended that streak to eight before finishing second Aug. 26 in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga. He since has been training up to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“I think they’re coming up to their races very well,” Mott said. “They’ve had some time off since their previous race. They’re both coming in relatively fresh and ready to go.”

Mott has four other horses entered in the Breeders’ Cup. Just F Y I is 8-1 to win the Juvenile Fillies, and Gala Brand is 12-1 to finish first in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, both Friday. Casa Creed is 8-1 in the Mile, and War Like Goddess is 12-1 facing males in the Turf, both Saturday.

Just F Y I, a George Krikorian homebred daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, brings a 2-for-2 record into her race that has been built up to be a coronation for Southern California standout Tamara, the 4-5 program favorite.

“Everybody else is right now being looked at as not as good as what the favorite is,” Mott said. “There’s a lot of hype about that (Richard) Mandella filly, and I guess she’s been quite impressive. Everybody else has to prove themselves.”

Gala Brand, a Violence filly owned by Arnmore Thoroughbreds and Even Keel Thoroughbreds, won her debut in August, defeated males in the With Anticipation (G3) and then was a beaten favorite last month in the Miss Grillo (G2).

“Hopefully we bounce back after the fourth-place finish,” Mott said. “She was 2-for-2 and then got beat. That doesn’t mean she can’t have a better trip this time and run better.”

War Like Goddess, a 6-year-old English Channel mare owned by Krikorian, has nearly $2.5 million in career earnings with a last-out victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on Oct. 7 in New York. She faces a field typically stacked with Europe-based horses led this year by two-time 2023 Group 1 winner Mostahdaf at 5-2 and double-derby and Irish Champion (G1) victor Auguste Rodin at 3-1.

“The European contingent is very strong this year, without a doubt,” Mott said. “There’s horses that are coming in off of (Group) 1 wins. As we all know, they’ve got a very good quality of turf horses over there. ... They probably have some of the better bloodstock over there now as far as the turf pedigree. We’re in a tough spot, but we’ve got a tough filly.”

Likewise, 7-year-old horse Casa Creed will face highly regarded, international entrants. He is graduating from sprints to race again going a mile, a distance at which he won his last two times out in the Kelso (G3) and Fourstardave Handicap (G1), both at Saratoga. Casa Creed will face a field led on the morning line by two-time Japan Grade 1 winner Songline at 5-2.

“He’s coming in great,” Mott said of Casa Creed, a son of Jimmy Creed who is owned by Lee Einsidler and talk-radio icon Mike Francesa. “No reservations about the way he’s coming in. Once again, a very competitive race, and you’ve got to have the golden trip to win it.”

Would it mean more to win one or both of those turf races when the results would fly in the face of overseas expectations? Just as Mott said about the pressure of trying to repeat with established champions, not really.

“It’s gratifying to win those regardless of who’s in there,” he said.