Mott Confident in Festival Runners
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has twice won the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. and Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, respectively, and brings a small but potent hand into the International Festival of Racing on Aug. 16 with Juddmonte Farm's Emollient for the former and WinStar Farm and Gary Barber's promising Tourist for the latter.
Emollient, fourth in last year's Grade I Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf behind Beverly D. winner Dank, enters the Arlington centerpiece for distaffers with a resume that includes three Grade I wins. Last out, she had a very rough trip in the Grade I Diana Stakes at Saratoga, checking twice and finishing ninth of 10 - a rare poor finish from the homebred daughter of Empire Maker.
"She's doing fine. She had a nice breeze on the grass (on Sunday) and will probably come back this weekend and breeze again," Mott reported. The bay filly worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on the Oklahoma training track's turf course and will have Joel Rosario - who weathered her hellish trip last out - in the saddle at Arlington International Racecourse. Rosario will also be aboard the talented and lightly raced sophomore Tourist in the Secretariat.
"His last two races have been very good," Mott said. "The turf has helped him out and he's responded well to it."
Mott's statements do not fully express the dominance the WinStar homebred has shown since switching to the lawn. In three grass starts, the son of Tiznow has won by a total of nine lengths and been geared down at the end of each victory. In fact, he has not been headed in his last two races, including a tour-de-force in the restricted $100,000 Sir Cat Stakes where he defeated Grade II Tampa Bay Derby winner Ring Weekend and earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure - the highest of any 3-year-old on the grass in 2014.
"He's a pretty horse and is doing great," Mott said. "I'm very happy with him. Both my horses are excellent right now." When asked if he could possibly run Juddmonte Farm's Seek Again - who is entered in this weekend's Grade II Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga - in the Grade I Arlington Million, "If we decide not to run him this weekend, then we'll go to the Million."