Mott pointing Art Collector to Alydar Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Art Collector, the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and Ellis Park Derby winner for trainer Tom Drury, is now in the barn of Bill Mott and is targeting the $120,000 Alydar Stakes on Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

On Thursday, Art Collector worked a half-mile in 49.66 seconds over a Saratoga training track labeled wet fast.

“He was well on the bridle, he traveled well,” Mott said. “We just wanted to get him started and see.”

Since his victory in the Ellis Park Derby – his fourth consecutive win – Art Collector finished fourth in the Preakness and eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to end his 3-year-old campaign.

In his lone start this year, Art Collector finished sixth in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes, a six-furlong race on June 25 at Churchill Downs.

Bruce Lunsford owns Art Collector and he’s had horses with Mott for many years.

“I trained for him on and off, and I guess Bruce wanted to run him in Saratoga,” Mott said. “He’s going to be here and wanted to try him up here rather than leave him down below.”