Mott barn lining up contenders for Kentucky Derby, Oaks
A number of prominent Bill Mott-trained horses of late have
progressed through New York and the Aqueduct fall and winter meets, including
last year's Kentucky Derby winner Country House, who was second in a December
2018 maiden tilt at Aqueduct ahead of graduating in January 2019 at Gulfstream.
Country House went on to finish second in the Grade 2 Risen Star and fourth in
the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, both at Fair Grounds, before completing the
trifecta in the Arkansas Derby ahead of his Derby coup for owners Mrs. J.V.
Shields (also his breeder), E.J.M McFadden Jr. and LNJ Foxwoods.
"You see a lot of good 2-year-olds turning 3 coming out of that Aqueduct
fall meet," Mott said. "Not every 2-year-old is ready to run at
Saratoga. Just because they don't win the Hopeful doesn't mean they can't go on
and have a nice early 3-year-old season. We've had a lot of 2-year-olds win at
that meet and go on to do well in Florida."
One such juvenile was Tacitus, who graduated in November 2018 at Aqueduct ahead
of winning the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby. Pam and Martin Wygod's Modernist,
currently fourth on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 70 points, broke
through in January at Aqueduct ahead of winning the Grade 2 Risen Star.
Last out, Modernist was an even third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Riley Mott, an assistant trainer under his father, said
there are similarities between the dark bay son of Uncle Mo and last year's
Derby winner.
"My dad and I spoke about this prior to the Risen Star. They had similar
form in their progression, running in the fall of their 2-year-old year and
breaking their maiden around the same time," said Mott. "They went to
Louisiana around the same time. They're a little different body wise, but there
are similarities on paper and they're both tough horses."
Modernist comes from strong family lines. His second dam, the Kris S mare Sweet
Life, produced multiple Grade 1-winners Life is Sweet and Sweet Catomine. Mott
said the later date for the Kentucky Derby, now slated for the first Saturday
in September, should benefit Modernist.
"If you go off pedigree and his physical attributes, it should help
him," Mott said. "He always struck us as a horse that would continue
to improve as the year went on. He had a really nice race in the Risen Star, and
although it wasn't too flashy a race, he ran steady in the Louisiana Derby and
the numbers came back OK."
The first Friday in September also looms a promising date for the Mott stable
with a trio of Kentucky Oaks contenders in Harvey's Lil Goil, Lake Avenue and
Antoinette. Bill Mott has yet to add an Oaks score to his impressive ledger.
The Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman's Harvey's Lil Goil romped to
a 6-length maiden win at second asking in December at Aqueduct and followed
up with a 7 1/2-length score over next-out Busher Invitational champ Water
White in the 9-furlong Busanda in February at the Ozone Park oval.
Harvey's Lil Goil is out of the Tapit broodmare Gloria S, who is a half-sister
to 2012 Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another and the Mott-trained dual
graded-stakes winner Golden Award.
While Mott said he would love to help his father secure a first Kentucky Oaks,
he is also dreaming of seeing the well-bred daughter of Triple Crown champion
American Pharoah in the Alabama this summer at the Spa.
The 1 1/4-mile Alabama, a furlong further than the Oaks, is a race the Mott
stable has won on three occasions with Sweet Symphony (2005), Royal Delta
(2011) and Elate (2017).
"Everyone dreams of winning the Oaks, but when she won last time it's hard
not to think of the Alabama with her. That's a race we'd like to win just as
much as the Oaks,"
"She has a really sexy pedigree," added Mott. "She's closely related to I'll Have Another and a filly named Golden Award who won a couple of graded stakes for us last year. She has a very nice dam side, and of course having American Pharoah on top doesn't hurt either. The bloodlines are certainly there."
Harvey's Lil Goil is currently 21st on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, with 10 points.
Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue, a Tapit chestnut, captured the Grade 2 Demoiselle going 9 furlongs in December at Aqueduct while garnering an 82 Beyer Speed Figure. After running fourth in the Busher Invitational in her sophomore debut, Lake Avenue was an even third last out in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, which was won gate-to-wire by Swiss Skydiver.
Mott said the barn hasn't lost faith in Lake Avenue, who is 11th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, with 35 points.
"We know she's talented and we know she can stretch out," said Mott. "Her pedigree doesn't scream distance limitation and while that doesn't always tell the whole story, the way she won the Demoiselle, we don't think she's limited to one turn.
"Her comeback race as a 3-year-old at Aqueduct wasn't very inspiring, but this last race was an improvement," Mott said. "Coming to the quarter pole, it looked like she had as good a shot as any of them. She may have flattened out, but maybe the winner ran a good race as well. Other horses are allowed to run well, too. We still think she's a very nice filly."
Godolphin homebred Antoinette, a bay daughter of Hard Spun, graduated at second asking on the Belmont turf in October and followed up with a victory in the off-the-turf Tepin in December at Aqueduct.
Last out, the versatile Antoinette moved to 12th on the Oaks leaderboard by garnering 20 points in a third-place effort in the Fair Grounds Oaks, won by Bonny South, in which the well-backed multiple graded-stakes winner Finite landed fourth.
"We didn't think the filly division in New Orleans was the strongest, and going into the race my dad said we weren't going to duck one horse – that being Finite – and she ended up running really well," said Mott. "Turning for home, we had a good shot but we lacked some room behind the leaders. They were fanned out in front of us and she had to wait a bit. But she's Grade 2-placed now, and that's a big deal for her residual value."
As the trail to the American Classics ambles along, Mott's famous father is on the cusp of saddling 5,000 career winners in North America; a milestone matched in North American racing by only six others.
As of April 1, the 66-year-old Mott had won 4,987 races from 25,443 starts in North America.
"My dad started training very early in life. I think he won his first race when he was 14," said Mott. "Throughout the years, there are many people who have contributed to that number long before I was even alive. People past and present should be very proud. Our current staff has been with us for a long time, and the people you have around you mean everything in this game.
"It's a combination of people and horses," continued Mott. "We've been fortunate to have good owners who have supported us and been loyal over the years."
While his dad continues to add to impressive totals, Mott said he is enjoying the experience and soaking up as much knowledge as he can. He appreciates the faith his father places in him when travelling top-class horses around the globe.
"I've been around a lot of big horses in big moments. Even though I'm young, I've seen a lot and done a lot. I know our system, and I like to think he trusts my eye," said Mott. "When he sends me off, he has confidence in me to execute the plan we have in place. It's fun to go to all these places and have a guy like Bill Mott put his trust in me. I don't take it for granted."