|
Mott basks in Classic/Ladies' Classic double
 |
| The Twin Spires provided a colorful backdrop to Drosselmeyer's Classic score
(Breeders' Cup Ltd.) |
Upon dismounting from his pony following training hours Sunday, Hall of Fame trainer
Bill Mott posed for a picture outside Barn 19 at Churchill Downs while standing
behind a sawhorse over which the floral blankets for the Breeders' Cup Classic
and Ladies' Classic were draped.
Mott had celebrated victories by Royal Delta in the Ladies' Classic on Friday
and Drosselmeyer in the Classic Saturday. He became just the second trainer to
accomplish the double, following John Shirreffs with Classic star Zenyatta and
Ladies' Classic winner Life Is Sweet in 2009.
On Sunday, Mott was somewhat subdued.
"Well, a lot of the energy has been drained out," Mott said with a chuckle.
Drosselmeyer capped off the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships with a
1 1/2-length victory over Game On Dude in the Classic at 14-1.
"Drosselmeyer showed up again on a big day. He's given us a Belmont Stakes
and a Breeders' Cup Classic," Mott said.
The Classic triumph should add to his value as a stallion. The four-year-old son of
Distorted Humor is scheduled to stand at stud in New York next year.
Mike Smith, who hadn't ridden Drosselmeyer since guiding him to victory in
the 2010 Belmont Stakes, got the return mount Saturday.
|
"(Jose) Lezcano was riding him, and he had To Honor and Serve, so it was a
no-brainer to go to Mike. He was open in the race, so he was more than willing
to ride him. Obviously, the chemistry is good," Mott said.
 |
| Royal Delta could find herself sharing the winner's circle with a different trainer than Mott following her sale
(Breeders' Cup Ltd.) |
It's possible that Royal Delta, who captured the Ladies' Classic by 2 1/2
lengths under Lezcano, will be leaving Mott's stable. The three-year-old daughter of
Empire Maker is scheduled to go through the sales ring at the Keeneland on
Tuesday.
"I guess it depends on who buys her. If somebody that needs a trainer, or
someone I've trained for buys her, I'd love to keep her. I hope that happens,"
Mott said. "She's the kind you look forward to. She's the kind that's hard to
replace."
Whether he continues to train her, Mott thinks Royal Delta has a bright
future.
"She's only a three-year-old, and she's perfectly sound, so I don't see any
reason why we couldn't hear from her next year," Mott said. "There's no reason
why she wouldn't get better."
With one exception, Mott was satisfied with the outcomes of his horses'
performances in this year's Breeders Cup. His other runners were To
Honor and Serve, who finished seventh in the Classic; Birdrun, runner-up in the
Marathon; and Courageous Cat, a troubled last in the Mile.
|
"We feel good about the fact that it's the end of the year, and it ended up
well for most of the horses we ran in the Breeders' Cup.
"Courageous Cat got kind
of mugged and didn't really have his chance. But everyone else had
their opportunities to run and they ran well. Even To Honor and Serve ran well,
he was beaten only 3 1/2 lengths for the whole thing."
Send this article to a friend
| 
