Bill Mott

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-BEL, $92K, Alw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 4:09 p.m. ET Spendthrift Farm made waves when it announced, following the failed drug test of GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico), that it would be moving some horses out of trainer Bob Baffert's barn. One of the most intriguing of those horses, 'TDN Rising Star' FOLLOWING SEA (Runhappy), will make his first start for the Todd Pletcher barn in this first-level allowance sprint early on Thursday's card. Unveiled at 9-10 Mar. 6 at Santa Anita, the homebred...

Horologist (Gemologist) aims to collect her sixth career stakes victory in Friday's GIII Allaire du Pont S. at Pimlico. The du Pont returns to its traditional spot on Preakness weekend after being moved to late December because of the coronavirus pandemic. Transferred to trainer Bill Mott last summer, the New Jersey bred kicked off her tenure with the Hall of Famer with a score in Monmouth's GIII Molly Pitcher S. in July before finishing third in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. in September. Victorious in the Oct. 4 GII Beldame...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MOTT UNVEILS SUMMER WIND HOMEBRED 4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 2:31p.m. Bill Mott unveils the latest blue-blooded colt to hail from Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm in SOUTHERN FLAG (Union Rags). His second dam is the farm's matriarch, SW & GSP Misty Hour (Miswaki), who has produced the likes of MGSW India (Hennessy), dam of MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and SW Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro); and SW Pilfer (Deputy Minister), who is the dam of MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini), GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini)...

Longshot Obligatory cut back and came flying to run down come-backing GISW Dayoutoftheoffice Friday. Fourth on debut after a rough start sprinting at Belmont in October, the Juddmonte homebred donned cap and gown over a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Feb. 7. She was last seen finishing a somewhat one-paced fourth in the Mar. 20 GII Fair Grounds Oaks behind Travel Column (Frosted), Clairiere (Curlin) and Souper Sensational (Curlin). Obligatory dropped straight to the back early as last year's GI Frizette S. heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice...

Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) makes her belated seasonal debut in the GII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday. A romping winner of the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga last July, the dark bay added a two-length tally in the one-turn-mile GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, but she settled for second when Frizette runner-up Vequist (Nyquist) turned the tables on her in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Tim Hamm pupil recorded a couple breezes at Tampa in January,...

Annex took his record to three-for-three with his second straight stakes victory in Gulfstream's Cutler Bay S. Rallying to victory in his career bow over course and distance Jan. 16, the 'TDN Rising Star' captured the Palm Beach S. in Hallandale next out Feb. 27 and was favored to repeat here. Sitting a bit closer to the pace in a joint fourth, the flashy chestnut raced off the fence through a :24.06 opening quarter and :47.78 half-mile. Swung out three wide turning for home, the even-money favorite surged up alongside...

1st-Gulfstream, $45,000, Msw, 3-27, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.82, fm, 3 3/4 lengths. COLTON'S COMMAND (c, 3, Twirling Candy--Baublette, by Unbridled's Song), well liked at 7-2 in this unveiling, raced straight past even-money fourth-timer Shaftesbury (Uncle Mo) inside the final eighth of a mile and sprinted away to graduate smartly at first asking. Settled in about midpack as the debuting Fortified (American Pharoah) cut out a moderate pace from Shaftesbury and War Bomber (Ire) (War Front), Colton's Command improved a few spots while making eye-catching progress on the turn. Shifted out for...

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border (English Channel), a late-closing third behind Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) in the Jan. 23 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, will try to take advantage of that foe's absence and some extra real estate when he goes postward in the 1 1/2-mile GII Pan American S. at Gulfstream Park Saturday. "He ran another big race last time and was flattered the other day by Colonel Liam," trainer Mike Maker said. "We expect another strong effort from him." Colonel Liam returned from the Pegasus to win...

Trainer Ken McPeek, who won last year's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks with 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), will look to take a second straight renewal of the 1 1/16-mile race when he saddles Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) Saturday in Hallandale. The gray filly, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was second in both the GIII Pocahontas S. and GI Darley Alcibiades S. last fall before ending her juvenile campaign with a sixth-place effort in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She rallied from well back to finish...

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Larry Melancon might not have been the top jockey at Churchill Downs during his long career, though he ranks among the winningest riders at the historic Louisville track even a decade after his retirement. But no Churchill Downs jockey can match the resilience and longevity of Melancon, whose tenure of riding full-time under the Twin Spires for 36 consecutive years is unprecedented. Melancon, whose first official race was in 1971, arrived at Churchill Downs for the 1974 spring session. Up through his retirement on July 4, 2010 at Churchill...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 11th-GP, $55K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 5:48 p.m. ET Giverny (Tapit) makes her first start here for Bill Mott and owner/breeder Alpha Delta Stable. She was being carried by her SW and MGSP dam Oscar Party (Dixie Union) when Jon Clay's operation purchased that one for $1.9 million at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. Giverny is the half-sister to MGISW Room Service (More Than Ready)'s second foal--a year-older Tapit colt RNA'd for $675,000 at the same KEENOV renewal. Chad Brown pupil Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), a...

After recording a stalk-and-pounce victory in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Feb. 6, Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) will have 11 rivals standing in his way to double up in Saturday's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. The Tampa Bay Derby carries 50-20-10-5 qualifying points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. The Frank Fletcher colorbearer previously romped by 9 1/4 lengths at second asking going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 9. He received 85 Beyer Speed Figures in both efforts. The Sam Davis was Candy...