Scotland Shows the Way in Victory in Saratoga's Curlin

A swarm of media surrounded Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course and the question that always comes after the running of the listed $135,000 Curlin Stakes came.

So, is the Travers next?

Yes, of course it is, Mott said with a laugh. At least for him it is. 

The $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 26 is the centerpiece of the 40-day meet at Saratoga Race Course. And it looks like Mott's late-blooming 3-year-old colt Scotland  will have a date with the Midsummer Derby.

"Obviously, the Travers is a different race and different competition," Mott said. "I'm sure we will have that debate with the racing managers and the owners, but I'm sure the Travers would be up on the list."

The Curlin, named for the two-time Horse of the Year, has been run since 2009. It has only produced one Travers winner to date, that being V. E. Day  in 2014. The race is for horses that have not won a graded stakes race at a mile or more in their 3-year-old year.

Making just his fourth career start, Scotland, owned and bred in Kentucky by LNJ Foxwoods, jumped to the lead at the start and never gave it up, winning the 1 1/8-mile race by 3 1/4 lengths. 

"Looking at the paper, it was no surprise," Mott said about being on the lead. "We thought the horse on the outside (Il Miracolo ) might try to go to the lead because he had won one of his previous races being on the lead. We had a good trip. We were on the lead and challenged a little bit, but not pressed overly hard."

Scotland, unraced as a 2-year-old, won for the third time and jockey Junior Alvarado has been on board for all the trips to the winner's circle. The two previous wins—breaking his maiden in his first start at Gulfstream Park on March 4 and an allowance on June 3 at Churchill Downs—came by a pair of heads.

This was the first time the son of Good Magic  —three of the five horses in the field were by the champion and multiple grade 1 winner—had gone two turns.

"It looked like we were behind as far as running in any Triple Crown races, so I didn't see any need to rush him into a two-turn race," Mott said. "He was showing he was effective at seven-eighths and a mile."

While watching the replay, Mott gave credit to Il Miracolo, trained by Antonio Sano and ridden by Luis Saez. The son of Gun Runner   hounded Scotland for most of the journey and was even inside the three-quarters pole. Mott even thought his rival had gotten a neck in front at one point, but Scotland powered on and drew away in the stretch.

Scotland ($6.90) set fractions of :23.69, :47.56, 1:11.12, and 1:35.79 before finishing it off in 1:49.12 over the track labeled "fast."

"I had so much horse from the get-go," Alvarado said "I just let him get comfortable. He was traveling beautifully. I was always hoping he'd give me the kick that I was expecting at the end. When I turned for home and I asked him, he was there for me."

Saez had no complaints about Il Miracolo, who ran with 15-1 odds.

"He tried hard, he ran big," Saez said. "A good second."

The disappointment in the Curlin came from the Chad Brown-trained Blazing Sevens . Ridden by Flavien Prat, the 3-5 favorite was making his first start since losing the Preakness Stakes (G1) by a head to National Treasure  on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.

He was never a factor and finished third, three lengths behind Il Miracolo.

"It just didn't work out for him," Brown said after talking with Prat. "He certainly didn't run well enough to go to the big race (Travers). I thought the winner was super impressive. I don't think anybody was going to beat him."

Lost Ark  and Irad Ortiz Jr. finished fourth for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and Perform  was fifth for trainer Shug McGaughey and jockey John Velazquez, both Hall of Famers.

Video: Curlin S. (BT)