Mott Runners Doing Well After Breeders' Cup Triple

The multiple Breeders' Cup floral blankets outside of the barn where trainer Bill Mott was stabled at Santa Anita made for great selfies. As a few people walked by and grabbed something Instagrammable, Mott did a quick check of those left in his barn before heading out to catch his plane home.

"Everybody looks pretty good—two of them (Elite Power   and Cody's Wish  ) are already on their way to Kentucky," Mott said. "War Like Goddess  and Just F Y I  are going to Payson Park right now. There's a lot of time to work out what's next."

With six entered in Breeders' Cup races, Mott won three: the Dirt Mile (G1) with Cody's Wish, the Sprint (G1) with Elite Power, and the Juvenile Fillies with Just F Y I. Casa Creed , a two-time grade 1 winner this year, ran third in the Mile (G1T).

War Like Goddess, third in the Turf (G1T) in 2022, finished seventh this year. Drawn on the outside, post 13, the two-time winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) had traffic trouble in this year's Turf. Last by the stands the first time, she split horses in the final turn, but encountered a wall of horses in the stretch. Jockey Junior Alvarado tried to get War Like Goddess to the outside, but couldn't do it in time and she ended up seventh.

"She had to wait a little bit—(Alvarado) said he was following the winner and they spurted clear and he couldn't quite keep step with them," Mott said after the race. "By the time he got there, it kind of closed up on him. She didn't run bad. She just wasn't able to get going and get her run going. She had to kind of fish for some room."

Hall of Famer Mott's three 2023 Breeders' Cup victories brought his total to 15. He was winning back-to-back Breeders' Cups with Cody's Wish and Elite Power, who each won their respective races in 2022 as well. This was the first time Mott had won the Juvenile Fillies, though he finished second in 1989 with Sweet Roberta.

Just F Y I, a daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify  , ran her record to a perfect three-for-three with her neck victory over Jody's Pride  in the Juvenile Fillies after pressing the pace of odds-on favorite Tamara . Elite Power, the 2022 champion male sprinter, solidified his chances of a repeat Eclipse Award with a 1 1/2-length win as the favorite over Gunite   in the Sprint in his final start prior to his stud career at Juddmonte near Lexington.

But it is Cody's Wish, who now heads to stud at Jonabell Farm near Lexington, whose story resonates the most and the special relationship forged between the horse and Cody Dorman. Mott has been honored to be a part of that journey along with owner/breeder Godolphin.

"It's a great story," he said. "I think Cody's Wish has been an inspiration for Cody Dorman. They are a wonderful family all the way around—very nice, genuine people."