Harvey's Lil Goil leads big weekend for Mott

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tacitus may have been a huge disappointment in Saturday’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, but it was hardly a lost weekend for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Shortly after Tacitus finished third as the 3-5 favorite in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Mott watched from Belmont as Harvey’s Lil Goil won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Keeneland.

On the 2-year-old front, Mott scored maiden victories at Belmont with colts Nova Rags on Saturday and Speaker’s Corner on Sunday. Forza Di Oro, who showed promise as a 2-year-old last year, made a successful, albeit belated, 3-year-old debut last Friday, winning a first-level allowance race.

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Harvey’s Lil Goil became the first Grade 1 winner produced by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. She is a multiple graded stakes winner on turf and kicked off her 3-year-old campaign with a blowout win in the Busanda on dirt at Aqueduct.

“To have her from the beginning and to have her get to that level is very gratifying,” Mott said.

Mott said there are no concrete plans for Harvey’s Lil Goil, but he did not rule out wheeling her back in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“You got to think about it,” Mott said.

Like Harvey’s Lil Goil did, Forza Di Oro won his second start at 2. He took a lot of money in the Grade 2 Remsen last Dec. 7 but finished eighth, beaten 24 1/4 lengths. Friday was his first start since then. After a slow break, Forza Di Oro rallied to beat Adare by a neck. He earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He was off for soundness issues, so it was a long time getting him back,” Mott said. “It was nothing major, but it took a while.”

Mott said the Grade 3, $100,000 Discovery on Nov. 28 could be a possible next start for Forza Di Oro.

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On Sunday, in his second start, Speaker’s Corner rallied from mid-pack to win a highly regarded seven-furlong maiden race by three-quarters of a length.

Speaker’s Corner, a son of Street Sense owned and bred by Godolphin, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.05 and earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

On Saturday, Mott sent out the first-time starter Nova Rags to a three-quarter-length victory. A son of Union Rags owned and bred by Michael Shanley, Nova Rags ran six furlongs in 1:10.81 and earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure.

Both Speaker’s Corner and Nova Rags could run in the $100,000 Nashua at Aqueduct on Nov. 8.