Mott off to auspicious start at Saratoga meet

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It’s supposed to heat up at Saratoga, with temperatures soaring into the 90s by midweek. Mother Nature still has a ways to go to get as hot as Bill Mott, a nine-time leading trainer at Saratoga who won six races over the first four days of the meet, including two on Monday.

Two of those wins came from an unlikely source – his juvenile crop. On consecutive days, Mott won twice with debuting 2-year-olds going long on the turf. On Saturday, he won a race with Site Read, who returned $44.20, and on Sunday, he ran 1-2 with the debuting juvenile fillies Sage Hall ($25.20) and Rebelle, who combined for a $258 exacta in that day’s sixth race.

Mott said the only thing he’s done differently with his 2-year-olds so far is “not waste a race on the dirt with them.”

“They went directly to the turf going long,” he said.

While relishing the success of the first weekend of the meet, Mott isn’t ready to declare himself a candidate to win his 10th trainer’s title.

“I hope we have as much ammunition for the end of the meet as we do for the beginning,” Mott said Monday. “The big stables haven’t gotten going yet.”

Mott may only be getting started himself. In addition to his two winners on Monday’s card - Tiz So Sweet ($6.60) and My Friend Keith ($4.80) - he has a chance for more with three runners in on Thursday and a big weekend lined up. He has Japan to run in Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy and War Dancer in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green.

On Monday, Japan worked a solid half-mile in 48.20 seconds, with a final quarter of 23.97 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. He worked by himself after posting a stiffer work in company a couple weeks ago. The Jim Dandy will be Japan’s first race around two turns. He is coming off a victory in the Easy Goer Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race around one turn against two horses on Belmont Stakes Day.

“He should be ready for it,” Mott said. “He’s got the proper foundation under him now.”

Meanwhile, Mott will celebrate his 62nd birthday on Wednesday. Since 1992, Mott has won a race at Saratoga 15 times on his birthday. Last year, his birthday was a dark day. This year, he has only one runner on his birthday, First Charmer, in a maiden race for New York-bred fillies and mares.

First Charmer is making her first start for Mott, first in 11 months and first beyond 5 1/2 furlongs. She finished fourth twice here last summer sprinting on the turf and dirt.

“She’s worked well a couple of times,” Mott said. “She’s not a big filly, she’s on the small side, but she gets over the ground well.”