Bill Mott

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Who's been making the best physical impression in the mornings heading into the GI Kentucky Derby? Our boots on the ground and Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack reveals his top three favorite workouts recorded from the scratched-down field of 19 beneath the Twin Spires. 1) JOURNALISM April 27, 2025 | 5F | 1:01.40 (18/22) Not only does Journalism (Curlin) have the best form heading into the first Saturday in May. The physically imposing 3-1 morning-line favorite also posted the most visually impressive local breeze of the field,...

With a lot of the negative news we often confront in racing, sometimes it's important to also see the good, like how taking just five minutes to talk to a young person who is just beginning their journey in the racing business can be. By my estimate, each person listed below graciously spent five to 10 minutes of his or her time during a very busy Derby week visiting with a dozen students from Bluegrass Community and Technical College's Equine Studies program. Yet the impressions they left will last far,...

Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Journalism (Curlin) topped a work tab of six entrants for the GI Kentucky Derby by working five furlongs over a fast track in 1:01.40 Sunday morning at Churchill Downs. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism put in his morning breeze during the 7:15-7:30 EST training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses. Sunday morning the early favorite was reunited with rider Umberto Rispoli.  Journalism cut out splits of :13.60, :25.80 and :37.60, galloping out in 1:13.60 and 1:26.80. "I was very pleased with the work," said trainer...

Friday's GIII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland has all the trappings of a high-level race as a salty group of seven older fillies and mares have assembled to go a mile and a sixteenth on the main track. Made the 8-5 choice on Nick Tammaro's morning-line, Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) makes her 4-year-old debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. In 2024, the filly finished off the board in only one Grade I race out of the five. She was last seen running third in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at...

Tappan Street (Into Mischief) and Sovereignty (Into Mischief), one-two in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, breezed Friday morning at Payson Park while preparing for their scheduled starts in the GI Kentucky Derby. WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and Cold Press Racing's Tappan Street, who defeated Sovereignty by 1 1/4 lengths Mar. 29, breezed a half-mile in company with 3-year-old stablemate Rapture (Uncle Mo). "He went very well. I had him in :48 2/5, 1:01 3/5. It was a good move, executed very, very well. Obviously, inside of Rapture. It was...

In his second consecutive victory of the year, 'TDN Rising Star' Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) survived a rider's objection to claim the Listed American Pharoah Stakes at Oaklawn. No worse than first or second in his career, the son of the late Uncle Mo was a winner last out Jan. 25 by 3 3/4 lengths against optional claimers at this venue and earned a 92 Beyer that matched his seasonal bow Jan. 5 when he lost the bob to Black Powder (Gun Runner), who also returned here. Two years ago,...

Manny Franco will accompany Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in Saturday's $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The New York-based jockey will fill in for regular rider Junior Alvarado, who sustained a shoulder injury in a racing mishap Sunday. Alvarado has been aboard the bay for all four starts, including a last-to-first victory in the Mar. 1 GII Fountain of Youth. Franco is currently atop the jockey standings at the current Aqueduct meet. "I can rarely get him. He's never been easy to get to ride, but I think...

Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has ridden leading GI Kentucky Derby chance Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in each of his four career starts to date, will miss about three weeks after fracturing his shoulder blade in a Sunday accident at Gulfstream Park. Daily Racing Form was first to report the news. Alvarado's mount in Sunday's 10th race at Gulfstream Park, Term (Medaglia d'Oro), suffered a fatal heart attack, according to DRF, and the rider's agent Mike Sellitto told the publication that Alvarado was looking after his horse when he was clipped by...

Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief), a smashing winner of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes on seasonal debut Mar. 1, drew widest in a field of 10 and was made the 8-5 favorite on the morning line for the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 29. Trained by Bill Mott, looking for his first victory in the Kentucky Derby stepping-stone, Sovereignty is a homebred son of Crowned (Bernardini), whose dam Mushka (Empire Maker) was a Grade II winner of the Demoiselle Stakes as a juvenile and added...

5th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 3-16, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:11.00, ft, neck. DRY POWDER (f, 3, Gun Runner--Tell All, by Broken Vow) came into this debut with a sparkling price tag and a three-strong string of bullet works at Palm Meadows. Showing the way under pressure through :22.52 and a half in :45.75, she locked horns with Practical Lov (Practical Joke) as they swung into the lane and briefly lost the advantage as they got to mid-stretch. Battling back gamely, Dry Powder would not be denied and she came back on the...

6th-GP, $98K, OC 75k/C, 4yo/up, f/m, 1m, 3:29 p.m. ET. Just F Y I (Justify), champion 2-year-old filly of 2023, kicks off her 4-year-old campaign in this stakes-quality field. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up was last seen finishing a well-beaten sixth in the GI Acorn S. at Saratoga June 7. "We need to get started," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. "She's been away a long time and we decided to try an allowance race, although it's a very tough allowance race....

Godolphin homebred and GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is being pointed to the GI Curlin Florida Derby for his next start March 29. "I think we're leaning very heavily toward the Florida Derby," said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott Friday. "We're 95 percent sure that's where we're going." Sovereignty earned 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Fountain of Youth victory by a neck over 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music), and is tied with 2024 2-year-old male champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief)...