Bill Mott getting hot at Spa

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott won six races over five days at Saratoga to move into second in the trainer standings following Sunday’s card.

And his meet should only get better.

Mott, who had won seven races from 28 starters at the meet entering Monday’s card, celebrated his 65th birthday Sunday with two wins, naturally. He has now won a race at Saratoga on his birthday in 17 of the last 24 years. More impressively, Mott has won at least one race at Saratoga for 32 straight meets, or since 1987. He has won the Saratoga training title nine times.

As part of his five-win week, Mott won the Curlin with Hofburg, who is now headed to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, and shared the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green when Channel Maker dead-heated with Glorious Empire. Channel Maker will likely be pointed to the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on Aug. 25.

“I’ve been this far into a meet and haven’t won a race before,” Mott said Monday morning, hours before the 10th racing day of the meet was to get started.

In the morning, three of Mott’s top horses put in workouts for upcoming engagements.

Good Samaritan, last year’s Jim Dandy winner, worked a half-mile in 50.42 seconds, getting his final quarter in 23.94 seconds in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.08, six furlongs in 1:15.57, and pulled up seven furlongs in 1:30.08.

“He was off slow in his first quarter of a mile, but he finished nicely and galloped out strong,” Mott said.

Right after Good Samaritan worked, Elate went a half-mile in 50.27 seconds in her first work since winning the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap. She is pointing to the Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign here on Aug. 25.

“She was just galloping,” Mott said. “He had a handful of horse and she went in 50 and we didn’t make her gallop out. It was her first breeze; we didn’t want any more than that.”

Yoshida, who won the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs two starts back, worked five furlongs in 1:02.13 over the Oklahoma turf course.

Yoshida is pointing to the Grade 1 Fourstardave here on Aug. 11.

Yoshida worked in company with the Neil Drysdale-trained mare La Sardane, a winner of two stakes at Belmont who is pointing to the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa here on Aug. 25.

“They wanted to follow us and join up in the stretch and finish together,” Mott said. “It looked like when Yoshida hit the wire and he let him gallop out, he was really impressive.”