Native Land brings sneaky turn of foot to competitive allowance

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sandwiched midway between the Blue Grass Stakes last Saturday and the Lexington Stakes this Saturday is a lesser Keeneland race for sophomore dirt route horses. Wednesday’s eight-race program ends with three allowance contests, the second of which, race 7, is carded for 3-year-old first-level allowance horses or $100,000 claimers at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The usual suspects are participating. Trainer Todd Pletcher has two entrants, morning-line favorite Heartened and More Vino, a last-out debut winner with second-start upside. Brad Cox brings back into action Rocketeer, last seen winning his debut during Keeneland’s fall meet. Also participating, with a promising colt named Native Land, is another most recognizable racing name – Mott. This is Riley Mott, son of Hall of Famer Bill, and like father, like son. Rather than rush Native Land into a stakes start following a blowout March 9 maiden win at Oaklawn, where Native Land was 6 1/4 lengths best with an 80 Beyer, Mott is taking a more measured approach.

“We kind of just wanted to give him a chance in a one-other-than,” Mott said.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

Native Land, a Mastery colt owned by Cheyenne Stables, made the races Jan. 13 and immediately made an impression. Dismissed at odds of 74-1, Native Land swooped from 11th in the early going, took a midstretch lead, lost his focus, and finished third in a one-mile contest. Second out, he was ridden forwardly to contest the pace on a sloppy track, battled on the lead until the final furlong before succumbing late and finishing third. In the March 9 start, Mott asked jockey Luis Fuentes to hold Native Land well off the pace and make one run, tactics that were taken to an extreme. It wasn’t until Native Land had passed the three-furlong marker that Fuentes gave his mount the cue to go.

“I didn’t necessarily expect him to wait quite that long. During the race I was starting to chirp at him a little bit, ‘Okay, time to get going,’ ” Mott said.

The belated move turned out to be strong and decisive enough that Native Land won easily, looping the field into upper stretch and finishing things off with a strong 12.06 final furlong.

“He’s a big, scopey, good-looking fellow. He’s a bit deceiving: You don’t expect him to have the turn of foot that he does, especially on dirt. Junior worked him the other day and said the same thing, that he fools you with that turn of foot,” Mott said, referring to jockey Junior Alvarado, who picks up the mount.

Native Land turns back from 1 1/8 miles to a short-stretch 1 1/16-mile race that ends at the sixteenth pole. Mott believes Native Land’s push-button acceleration will suit the race configuration.

Heartened won a Tampa maiden race in his fourth start and came back with a competitive fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby, which might say as much about the Tampa Bay Derby as Heartened. A repeat performance makes him a contender, but Heartened lacks the upside of a horse like his stablemate, More Vino, or the Cox-trained Rocketeer.

Racing over Keeneland’s Beard Course (seven furlongs 184 feet) last October, Rocketeer cleared the maiden ranks by four lengths. Cox said the colt, by Curlin, had an injury that required surgical repair, accounting for his extended layoff.

“He came back really well, and he’s a horse we’re looking forward to getting around two turns.” Cox said.

Race 6 is a first-level allowance carded for one mile on turf, which seems much too short for Battle of Normandy, listed as the 5-2 morning line favorite. The nightcap is a second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf, and here it’s Bill Mott who has a runner: Greek Order, a Juddmonte homebred, makes his North American debut after seven starts in England, where he rose through the handicap ranks into listed stakes competition. His form doesn’t stand out here, but Greek Order did run well in his lone try around left-handed turns.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.