Alvarado hoping to play long game with Modernist

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Junior Alvarado was at Bill Mott’s Belmont Park barn Sunday morning to work a couple of horses for the Hall of Fame trainer when the discussion turned to a different Mott-trained horse whom Alvarado will ride in Saturday’s $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Alvarado is the regular rider of Modernist, who won a division of the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 15. Though Modernist won the slower division of the Risen Star, he did it on the front end after dueling with Ny Traffic and then holding Major Fed at bay in the late stages.

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“They said it was an inside bias that day, but it wasn’t my intention to rush him,” Alvarado said. “I had a horse on the outside of me and I could never give him a breather like I wanted to. I had to keep after him just to hold my position. To be honest, I know he gave me a kick turning for home, but I’m thinking at the eighth pole, he’s going to get tired on me and stop. But he didn’t. He kept digging in and fought back more than I really thought.”

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Modernist won the Risen Star from post 1. He drew post 14 in the Louisiana Derby. Alvarado thinks that will be less of an issue going 1 3/16 miles and with a long run to the first turn on Saturday. Alvarado said he’s looking forward to getting to ride Modernist at a longer distance.

“We always thought at a distance he wouldn’t have any problem,” Alvarado said. “Hopefully, we’re good there distance-wise.”