Durkin's Call, Multiplier join Mott's barn

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Owner Adam Wachtel has moved two horses to Bill Mott’s New York barn.

Last weekend, Wachtel closed a deal to privately purchase the 3-year-old New York-bred Durkin’s Call from trainer Michael Trombetta. Durkin’s Call, a son of Jump Start who has run eight times, won a starter allowance in the final jump at Aqueduct on Feb. 1, earning a 74 Beyer Speed Figure.

“That was a monster effort,” said Wachtel, who purchased Durkin’s Call along with owner Peter Deutsch. “He’s got a beautiful [Ragozin sheet] line moving forward. He’s a New York-bred with allowance conditions.”

Wachtel said Durkin’s Call would be pointed to the $100,000 Gander Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds going a mile on March 17. However, he added that the horse would also be nominated to the Grade 3 Gotham on March 9.

“If the Gotham, for whatever reason, didn’t come up too tough, we’ll consider it,” Wachtel said.

On Thursday at Belmont Park, Durkin’s Call worked an easy half-mile in 49.26 seconds in company with the 4-year-old Prompt.

Last month, Wachtel and his partners moved the graded stakes winner Multiplier to Mott from Peter Miller. As a 3-year-old in 2017, Multiplier won the Grade 3 Illinois Derby for trainer Brendan Walsh. It was after that race that Wachtel, Gary Barber, and George Kerr purchased a majority share in Multiplier.

Multiplier was sent to Miller in California for 2018, and after three losses on dirt, he was transferred to the turf, where he won an allowance race. Off that win, Multiplier came back east for the Grade 1 Manhattan in New York, where he finished ninth, one place behind Channel Maker, also owned by Wachtel and Barber, beaten 1 3/4 lengths. He competed in four more graded stakes, the most recent being the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, where he finished 10th of 13.

Wachtel said Multiplier flipped his palate in the Shadwell Turf Mile and was given time off at WinStar Farm.

Wachtel said he sent Multiplier to Mott with the idea of starting him back on dirt sometime in March. Multiplier has had three workouts at Belmont, the most recent being a three-furlong move in 36.66 seconds last Sunday.