Bill Mott

Things are starting to heat up. Saturday's Busher S. at Aqueduct and Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream both have the potential to shake things up. The Davona Dale will feature the return of 2-year-old champion filly Just FYI (Justify) and what looks to be an up-and-coming star in Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief). The Busher will feature Jody's Pride (American Pharoah), who was the runner-up behind Just FYI in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Here's a look at the fourth installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10. 1)...

Trainer Brad Cox confirmed that FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), a brave third in the G1 Saudi Cup after setting bruising fractions up front, has shipped to Dubai and has settled in at Meydan Raceourse. The $45,000 Keeneland January short-yearling turned $240,000 OBS April breezer holds an entry for the G1 Dubai World Cup, where he would face a rematch with the two horses that finished ahead of him last weekend--Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). But Cox aid that the tentatively target is the Mar....

George Krikorian's champion homebred Just F Y I (Justify) leads a cast of 104 3-year-old fillies that were nominated to compete in the 150th running of the $1.5-million GI Longines Kentucky Oaks Friday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. Just F Y I joins 23 other stakes winners based across North America that were nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, including recent GII Rachel Alexandra S. winner Tarifa (Bernardini); GI Alcibiades S. winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}); and GII Golden Rod S. winner Intricate (Gun Runner). The 104 fillies became eligible to...

Joel Rosario has picked up the ride on RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) for Saturday's $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, his agent Ron Anderson confirmed in a text message Monday. The 6-year-old Isolate made the first 12 starts of his career in the U.S. for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, winning two from his first five for trainer Kathy Ritvo before joining the barn of Tom Amoss. The Florida-bred posted four victories from seven outings for that barn, winning the Work All Week S. at Hawthorne and the Tale...

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), who had been scheduled to run in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 24, didn't make Tuesday's flight overseas after a fever last week forced him to miss a workout, reports the DRF. Owned by Lee Einsidler and Mike Francesa, the multiple Grade I winner finished runner-up in the race in 2022-23. "He's been under tack for some light exercise, but his bloodwork wasn't completely normal yet," Mott told DRF Tuesday. "It was just a week ago that he developed a fever....

Churchill Downs' ban of Bob Baffert and the decision by his owners to keep their horses with the trainer, even though that means they cannot run at Churchill, will affect not just the Derby. Though Baffert's group of 3-year-old fillies is not as deep or as impressive as his collection of 3-year-old colts, he does have some fillies that, in a normal year, would be Oaks candidates. He has GII Starlet S. winner Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon). But his best filly may be Kinza (Carpe Diem), who rocketed to...

Named for the owner, an immigrant from Scotland who realized a Carnegie-kind of American Dream, it began as a 12-furlong turf race. Five years later in 1964 it was cut back to nine and moved to the dirt. The roll call of Donn H. winners through 2016 at Gulfstream Park reflects a roster of unique equine and human personalities, which is peppered with some magnificent performances that shouldn't be forgotten. Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza won his first of three victories in 1969 aboard Funny Fellow and took home...

2nd-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 11:30 a.m. The inside four horses, all first-time starters, headline Pegasus World Cup day at Gulfstream Park Saturday. BATTEN DOWN (Tapit) kicks things off for Bill Mott who looks to capitalize on a huge Eclipse Awards night with this Juddmonte homebred. A son of champion older mare Close Hatches, this colt is out of a full-sister to MGISP Lockdown, herself the dam of newly-crowned champion 3-year-old filly Idiomatic (Curlin). He is also a full-brother to MGSW/MGISP Tacitus and from the family of G1 Tattersalls Irish...

It was an evening to remember for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin team, as the worldwide operation accumulated no fewer than five statuettes over the course of the evening at Thursday's 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Presented by FanDuel TV, John Deere, Keeneland and The Jockey Club, honoring and recognizing excellence in Thoroughbred racing. And they saved the best for last, as Cody's Wish (Curlin), whose story resonated with nearly every fan of Thoroughbred racing and beyond, was named Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male for...

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott won his fourth Eclipse Award as the nation's leading trainer in 2023. The 70-year-old saddled the winners of 10 Grade I races in 2023, including Eclipse finalists Cody's Wish, Elite Power, and Just F Y I, and his stable recorded earnings of $17.43 million--most ever in his storied career. Mott also earned Eclipse championships in 1995, 1996 and 2011.

4th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-14, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.81, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. ROSWELL (f, 3, Into Mischief--Acoma {GISW, $1,060,898}, by Empire Maker), receiving Lasix for this career debut, broke alertly and was shuffled back to the middle of the pack up the backstretch. Taking aim at the longshot pacemaker Far and Few (Omaha Beach) heading into the far turn, the 11-1 chance ranged up on the leader at the eighth pole while under an all-out drive and took control in the final jumps to get the win by 1 1/2...

The finalists for the 2023 Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence in Thoroughbred racing, were announced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), The Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) Saturday.. Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be handed out on FanDuel TV and other outlets, during the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards, presented by FanDuel Racing, John Deere, Keeneland, The Jockey Club and the NTRA, on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2023 Horse of...