Mott will seek sixth BC Distaff win with Elate

ELMONT, N.Y. - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is headed back to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and that has to make his colleagues with horses pointed to that race at least a little bit nervous.

Mott has won the Distaff five times - including three straight runnings from 2010-12 - and has finished second in it twice from 13 starters. After missing the race the last two years, Mott will be sending Elate to Southern California for this year’s $2 million Distaff to be run Nov. 3 at Del Mar.

While Stellar Wind and Forever Unbridled - a combined 5 for 5 with four Grade 1 wins this year - will be the ones to beat in the Distaff, Elate is getting good at the right time. Saturday, she dominated an average group of older fillies and mares by 8 1/4 lengths in the Beldame without feeling the leather of jockey Jose Ortiz’s whip. The Beldame win came five weeks after she won the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga by 5 1/2 lengths.

Elate, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, has won three of her last four races with the lone defeat a head loss to Abel Tasman in a somewhat controversial running of the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, where Abel Tasman tightened things up on Elate in deep stretch.

“We saw yesterday that she’s got a tremendous amount of ability; she can compete at the highest level and will be meeting the best of her group,” said Mott, who trains Elate for Claiborne Farm and Adel Dilschneider. “I’m optimistic. Now comes that point in time where you try not to make any mistakes. Don’t [mess] it up.”

Mott said Elate came out of her Beldame victory in good order and on Sunday morning was on her way back to Saratoga, where she will train for the next three weeks before heading to Del Mar on Oct. 26. Mott said he looks forward to the challenge of meeting a top quality field in the Distaff.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Mott said. “We’ve had a good year. Whatever we do from here on out is icing on the cake.”