Mott points Hofburg, Yoshida and Elate to Saratoga stakes

Updating some of his stable's top runners, trainer Bill Mott said Monday that Yoshida, a multiple graded stakes winner who worked Monday morning, is pointing to a start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 11.

Yoshida breezed five furlongs over the Oklahoma turf course at Saratoga in 1:02.04, with the surface listed as firm. The work was in tandem with trainer Neil Drysdale's Grade 3 Intercontinental winner La Sardane. 

"He [Drysdale] wanted some company and he wanted to follow us," Mott said. "We just agreed to work it out and join up in the stretch and finish kind of together."

It was the third work since the 4-year-old Japanese-bred colt finished fifth in the Group 1 Queen Anne on June 19at Royal Ascot. Yoshida 

Additionally, Juddmonte Farm's homebred Curlin winner Hofburg is under consideration for the Grade 1 Travers on August 25. The chestnut colt by Tapit won last Friday's Curlin by five lengths after finishing third in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 9. 

"We got a win," Mott said "He needed a 'W'. We kind of threw him to the wolves three times in a row there, and he ran well and responded well, so it's nice to have a win."

Hofburg debuted at Saratoga last September with a fourth-place finish then broke his maiden in March at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred finished three lengths behind Audible in the Grade 1 Florida Derby before placing seventh in the May 5Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

"I think we're really in good shape," said Mott. "Truth be known, I didn't watch the Haskell. I guess the result was no surprise to anybody. That's a good horse [Good Magic] so I suppose he's one of the main ones to beat in the Travers."

Multiple Grade 1 winner Elate put in her first workout Monday morning since winning the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 14. The 4-year-old Medgalia d'Oro filly covered four furlongs in 50.27 over the Oklahoma dirt.

"She was just galloping," Mott said. "[The rider] had a handful of horse. We didn't have her gallop out or anything. It was her first breeze we didn't want any more than that. [It was] perfect."