Riley Mott

According to a report by David Grening in the Daily Racing Form, owner Peter Brant has taken away approximately 75 percent of his horses that had been trained by Chad Brown and moved them to new trainers. The Brant runners that have been moved will now be trained by Bill Mott, Riley Mott and Miguel Clement. It is not clear when Brant made the decision to take horses away from Brown. When contacted by text by the TDN Wednesday to address speculation that he was moving on to other trainers,...

Drawn into post nine, the honor of being the morning line favorite for Preakness 151 went to GIII Gotham Stakes hero Iron Honor (Nyquist) as a competitive, wide-open cast came together Monday evening during the post-position draw. A full field of 14 contenders, the largest since 2011 when Shackleford won, are set to go for this year's running of the middle jewel of the Triple Crown contested at Laurel Park. The race was moved as renovations continue at Pimlico downstate. Iron Honor will carry the colors of St. Elias Stable,...

The sixth-place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby will be heading to Maryland this week as trainer Riley Mott revealed that Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) will be entered into the GI Preakness Stakes. "The horse is doing extremely well," Mott said by phone from Louisville Monday afternoon. "He came out of the Derby in good shape, and we have been clocking the field of [Preakness] horses and we thought it would be the right opportunity to try the horse back." He also added that Incredibolt would train at Churchill Tuesday morning...

Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Golden Tempo (Curlin) shipped back to Keeneland Sunday morning, a day after his dramatic late-running victory in the GI Kentucky Derby. Connections will be taking a wait-and-see approach to his participation in the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes, trainer Cherie DeVaux confirmed Sunday. DeVaux made an emotional first stop the morning after the Derby at the former Churchill Downs barn of the late trainer Chuck Simon, a full-circle moment after the biggest win of her career. "He meant a lot to me and my...

On a cloudy Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, six entrants put in their final breezes over a fast track, led by Chief Wallabee (Constitution). Mike and Kay Ball's Chief Wallabee worked a half-mile in :49.20 in company with the 3-year-old maiden winner Steel (Tapit). Junior Alvarado was aboard for trainer Bill Mott. The TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard produced splits of :13.20, :25.40, :49.20 and out five-eighths in 1:01.80 and six furlongs in 1:15.20. "We did what we wanted to do and if it doesn't work out, then that's...

Trainer Brad Cox's trio of Kentucky Derby hopefuls--Commandment (Into Mischief), Fulleffort (Liam's Map) and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' Further Ado (Gun Runner)--highlighted a bustling morning at Churchill Downs a week out from Derby 152. Working during the 7:15-7:30 (all times Eastern) training period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks prospects, the Cox trio was joined by Chester Broman's Right to Party (Constitution) (five furlongs in 1:01.20) for trainer Kenny McPeek. For Team Cox the group included Wathnan Racing's Commandment (five furlongs in 1:01.40 in company with the 4-year-old...

A trio of California-based Kentucky Derby 152 hopefuls were on the track in Kentucky Wednesday morning after arriving from the West Coast Tuesday. Norman Stables and Saints and Sinners' GI Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy (Runhappy) jogged a mile under Gustavo Alvarado during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners. Also at the same time, Reddam Racing's Pavlovian (Pavel) jogged a mile under Tony Romero and Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures' Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) jogged two miles under Alejandro Galindo. Trainer Michael McCarthy sent out...

It truly is spring in Kentucky when the penultimate preps for the marquee event in May start rolling out, and so was the story Saturday morning as Albus (Yaupon) and Right to Party (Constitution) led the work tab for GI Kentucky Derby hopefuls at Churchill Downs. The top two from last month's GII Wood Memorial Stakes both went out Saturday morning with winner Albus spotted first for trainer Riey Mott. He breezed four panels in :49 flat (35/65) for his first move over the track since arriving at the venue...

Not a day goes by when Dana Bernhard doesn't think of her late husband, Jim, and his passing at age 71 in November after a brief illness. "It's still an extremely profound loss," she said. But something has come along to lift her spirits: the recent success of Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) and Albus (Yaupon). Incredibolt won the Virginia Derby and Albus captured the GII Wood Memorial Stakes, giving both enough points to make it into the field for the GI Kentucky Derby. It is a remarkable achievement for Pin Oak...

Trainer Riley Mott knew it would be a big ask for Albus (Yaupon) to go from a one-mile and 40-yard maiden victory to the nine-furlong GII Wood Memorial, but the colt responded with aplomb to win from well off-the-pace on Saturday at Aqueduct and punch his ticket to Louisville for the GI Kentucky Derby. "He came back covered in mud, and Jaime [Torres] said he wasn't fazed at all by the kickback--going around horses, splitting horses in a big field," Mott said. "It showed a lot of professionalism. I don't...

Make that two spots in the starting gate reserved for the Bernhard Family's Pin Oak Stud and trainer Riley Mott in the GI Kentucky Derby. Albus (Yaupon), a visually impressive maiden winner at third asking at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 27, punched his ticket to Louisville with an 11-1 upset in Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. Fellow longshots Right to Party (Constitution) and Ocelli (Connect) were second and third, respectively. Favored GIII Gotham S. winner Iron Honor (Nyquist) tired to seventh after getting bumped hard on the clubhouse...

Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, has come a long way in the 3 1/2 years he has been training on his own. He's already won more than 100 races and collected a pair of Grade I wins, including World Beater (Oscar Performance)'s score in last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes. And now it looks like he'll have a starter in this year's GI Kentucky Derby. In winning the Virginia Derby, the Mott-trained Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) earned enough points to guarantee himself a spot in...