Mott and Bailey own Ft. Lauderdale

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Together, and separately, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Jerry Bailey have dominated the Ft. Lauderdale Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Mott has saddled five of the last seven winners while Bailey has ridden five of the last six and seven overall winners.

Mott and Bailey have teamed to win four of the last five runnings - the Ft. Lauderdale was not run in 2001 - and look to make it five of six Saturday with Del Mar Show, who heads an eight-horse field entered for the Grade 3, $100,000 turf stakes.

Del Mar Show has not been out since last June 16 when he finished fourth as the favorite in the Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star. Mott said Del Mar Show came out of the race with a sore back and needed time off. Before that, Del Mar Show had won four straight races, including three stakes.

Mott's success with horses returning from a layoff is well-documented, and Del Mar Show displayed his ability to win fresh by taking a second-level allowance race here last February off a 126-day layoff.

"He seems like he's got as much [training] in him as when we started him off last year," Mott said.

The Ft. Lauderdale is run at 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which Del Mar Show is 4 for 4.

Del Mar Show, the starting highweight at 119 pounds from post 5, will have to be fit to beat a talented field that includes North East Bound, Galic Boy, Kiss a Native, and Mr. Livingston.

North East Bound ran super in the Appleton Handicap on Jan. 5, finishing second after contesting the pace before being run down by Pisces late. While some may figure him to bounce, trainer Bill Perry said he believes he will move forward.

"I think he's going into this race a little tighter than the last time," Perry said. "He had a good, hard race, but it didn't knock him out. If he runs his race he should be tough in there."

North East Bound, who drew the rail, will be reunited with regular rider Jose Velez Jr.

The value of the race could be Galic Boy, who scratched out of the Appleton because of the soft turf. Galic Boy, who is 2 for 2 at Gulfstream, has not been out since winning the R.F. Carey Memorial Handicap at Hawthorne on Nov. 3. He runs well fresh and trainer Mickey Goldfine is expecting a big effort.

"He'll try his butt off," said Goldfine, whose horse drew the outside. "He's always consistent. He ran his highest Beyer last time out, but he's maybe the most honest horse I've been around."

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