Breeders' Cup quotables: Mott, Mandella and Gutierrez

On Monday, three trainers with Breeders’ Cup contenders, Bill Mott, Richard Mandella and Fausto Gutierrez, spoke with media ahead of Friday and Saturday’s races. Here is what they had to say.

Bill Mott

On taking over training Art Collector from Tommy Drury

“I was fortunate enough to be in New York and (owner) Bruce (Lunsford) wanted him in New York and that’s how I wound up with him. Tommy had had the horse and done a great job with him. You can look at his form from last year and he won some very nice races with him and he gave him a great start. I was just the lucky recipient of him because Bruce wanted him on the East Coast from some of those races that we ran in at Saratoga and Belmont.”

On how War Like Goddess will handle the Filly & Mare Turf distance of 1 1/4 miles.

“If it was a mile and a half, that’d be fine with me because it seems like her running style and what she’s shown us so far, a mile and three eighths or a mile and a half is exactly what she wants to do. She usually lays back but she comes with a big run.”

Richard Mandella

On United in the Turf

“I’ll need to see it laid out on paper before I figure out exactly how it’s going to go, but he’s a very versatile horse. He can go to the lead, he can take back and just keep him out of trouble.”

On Bombard taking on the Turf Sprint after running in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Sept. 11.

“Kentucky Downs is a different course as we all know. Very interesting, I enjoyed going there. But this is a flat five furlongs. You just get out of there and go as fast as you can.”

On Dogtag in the Filly & Mare Turf

“She’s been a good mare, been unlucky in a few races. But I think the distance suits her. I think she’s good enough. We sharpened her up with a quick work the other day, just trying to turn that dial one more notch to the right.”

Fausto Gutierrez

On Letruska in the Distaff

“She’s a horse with a very special mind. I saw and heard, she’s ready for this. She knows perfect, what is the Breeders’ Cup, what we are doing here. I think she’s ready for this big effort.”

On what it means to have a horse in the Breeders’ Cup

“This is a real dream, because nobody could think this would happen. When I had this horse in Mexico City, I understood what it is to have a special horse, a horse to run fast, but to be here, it's like another planet.”