Bill Mott becomes the seventh trainer to reach 5,000-victory mark
Bill Mott became the seventh trainer to record 5,000 career wins when Moon Over Miami earned a 1-length victory in the third race at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Mott, who was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 1998, took out his trainer’s license at age 16 in 1969. Throughout his storied career, the South Dakota native has won some of the world’s most prestigious races, including the 2019 Kentucky Derby (Country House), 1996 Dubai World Cup (Cigar) and 2010 Belmont Stakes (Drosselmeyer).
Mott was at Belmont Park on Saturday overseeing Modernist in the Belmont Stakes but longtime assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy and veteran exercise rider Penny Gardiner were on hand in his place.
“We’re so thrilled to achieve this milestone,” said McCarthy, who has worked under Mott for 25 years. “I know Bill is watching from New York but we are so happy, and a little relieved, to get this honor.”
Mott began his career under the tutelage of fellow Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg throughout most of the 1970s until he decided to start his own stable in 1978. Over the next four decades, Mott trained six champions and 121 Grade 1 winners. Among the top horses under Mott’s care were 1995-96 Champion Older Horse and Horse of the Year Cigar, 2012-13 Champion Older Female Royal Delta and 1998 Champion Older Filly Escena.
Mott held the all-time trainer lead at Churchill Downs for more than 31 years until Dale Romans surpassed his mark in 2017. Steve Asmussen moved to the top of that list earlier this month.
Mott ranks seventh in all-time wins behind Dale Baird (9,445), Asmussen (8,873), Jerry Hollendorfer (7,651), Van Berg (6,523), King Leatherbury (6,503) and Scott Lake (6,104).
Belmont undercard
Gamine turned in a dominant performance with an 18¾-length victory in the Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Belmont Park in New York.
Trained by Bob Baffert and with John Velazquez aboard, Gamine led the seven-horse field wire-to-wire, running a mile in 1:32.55. That was the fastest of the 90 editions of the Acorn and just off Najran’s track record of 1:32.24 set in May 2003.
The Into Mischief filly earned 50 qualifying points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in September at Churchill Downs, as the Acorn awarded a 50-20-10-5 point structure to the top-four finishers. Gamine improved to 3-for-3 after starting her career with a 6¼-length victory in March at Santa Anita and winning at 1 1/16 miles in May at Oaklawn Park.
“It was an amazing race out of her,” Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes said. “Especially coming into a Grade 1 and for it being only her third start. Johnny rode her right to the way we told him to go. We told him to take advantage of her position and he certainly did.
“I wanted to see her run the one turn just because of the way she runs,” he added. “Two turns, one turn, she can handle either one. We’ll go home, give her a little time and see what’s next for her. I can imagine something at Saratoga.”
Off as the 3-5 favorite, she returned $3.40 on a $2 win wager while improving her career bankroll to $234,000.
“She was very good. Nice ride. She did everything I wanted her to do,” said Velazquez, whose fifth win in the Acorn tied Mike Smith for most in the race among jockeys. “She’s a little bit on the aggressive side, but I let her relax around the backstretch. Once we got to the five-sixteenths pole I let her run. ... I wish they were all that easy.”
▪ No Parole remained undefeated in sprints, breaking sharply from the inside post and leading at every point-of-call before surging home to a 3 3/4-length victory in the 7-furlong Grade 1, $250,000 Woody Stephens presented by Claiborne Farm.
The 3-year-old colt, trained by Tom Amoss, improved to 4-for-4 in sprints and won for the fifth time in six starts overall.
“When we hit the stretch, he took off,” jockey Luis Saez said. “I was sitting chilly and I knew I had a lot of horse. When everyone got close to him [turning for home], he took off again.”
▪ Sweet Melania made a sharp season debut with a victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Wonder Again, a 1-mile race for sophomore fillies on the Widener turf course at Belmont. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the American Pharoah chestnut had won the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland in October ahead of a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November.
▪ Decorated Invader, trained by Christophe Clement and ridden by Joel Rosario, continued his steady ascent to the top of the 3-year-old turf division with a 4¾-length victory in the Grade 2, $150,000 Pennine Ridge.
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 4:01 PM.