Trainer Mott on roll with maidens

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott continued his recent roll with maidens when Miss Mimosa won at first asking in impressive fashion Sunday at Gulfstream. Off six recorded breezes at Payson Park, where Mott does the bulk of his morning work, the 3-year-old Violence filly earned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure when winning the six-furlong race by five lengths under Jose Ortiz.

Mott’s longtime assistant, Kenny McCarthy, who is based apart from his boss at Gulfstream, oversees the training of Miss Mimosa.

Since Feb. 24, Mott has won five maiden races at Gulfstream, the others being Penalty, Hofburg, Show Me the Bucks, and Glossy.

McCraken in third work back

McCraken drew another step closer to making his 4-year-old debut by breezing five furlongs Monday in 1:02.75 at Palm Meadows. It was the third work for the Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred since he returned from a brief respite.

Trainer Ian Wilkes has said he intends to keep McCraken at or around one-mile races this year and has left open the possibility of running him in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on the Florida Derby undercard.

10-race card on tap Thursday

A 10-race Thursday card at Gulfstream is highlighted by a single allowance, which goes as the ninth. A field of seven fillies and mares will go 1 1/16 miles on the turf for a $57,000 purse, with the hybrid conditions being “two other than” and a $62,500 claiming option.

First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern, with the feature part of a Rainbow 6 sequence that spans races 5-10 and will begin at about 2:35. The Rainbow 6 has gone unswept since the pool was dispersed Jan. 28, with the jackpot having started the week Wednesday at a whopping $3,102,400.

Machismo to UAE Derby?

Owner Ron Paolucci posted Sunday on his Loooch Racing account on Twitter that Machismo, fourth in the March 3 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, could be headed to the UAE Derby on the March 31 Dubai World Cup card at Meydan. Machismo, by More Than Ready, won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race by 11 1/2 lengths prior to the Fountain of Youth.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman