Mott Sends Out Spiced Up for Upset Win in Mahony
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Spiced Up wins the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Bill Mott is not the first trainer that comes to mind in regards to a graded sprint stakes for 3-year-olds on turf.
Yet he is the youngest trainer to ever be elected to the Hall of Fame and has won a list of the sport's major stakes, which is far too lengthy to rattle off.
"I don't know how to train these horses," he deadpanned with a smile after sending out Juddmonte's Spiced Up to an upset win Aug. 10 in the $175,000 Mahony Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course for 3-year-old turf sprinters.
A case of learning new things as he goes along?
"I'm trying," he said with a laugh.
Using the same level of skill and care that he used on Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty , Mott has found what Spiced Up does best.
No better than fourth in two dirt races last year, the homebred son of Quality Road started his 3-year-old season with a victory in a six-furlong maiden race on turf and stepped up Sunday to notch a graded stakes win while beating 1-2 favorite Governor Sam .
"We were forced to stop on him last year just to give him a little time, and the decision was made to bring him back on turf. He's halfway bred for that," Mott said. "Visually, he finished well on the turf while he wasn't finishing on the dirt."
Spiced Up, a son of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Cardamon, was sixth under Junior Alvarado in the field of eight after an opening quarter-mile in a fast :21.15 on the firm turf. Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables' Governor Sam was third early on and slowly moved up to grab the lead entering the stretch. He put away the early speed and led by a half-length at the eighth pole but, rallying seven-wide in the stretch, Spiced Up ($11) motored to the front with seventy yards to go and registered a 1 1/4-length victory in 1:01.22 for the 5 1/2 furlongs.
Mott said a big part of the decision to run in the Mahony was to earn a spot in the $2 million Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G1T), a 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds at Kentucky Downs Sept. 6.
Governor Sam, a 3 1/2-length winner of the Quick Call Stakes (G3T) in his last start, was second by a half-length over Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, and Brandon Dalinka's No Evidence , a Vekoma colt trained by Miguel Clement.
"(Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) thought he had a little more punch last time, but we had a different bunch of horses today. There were a couple of new shooters," said George Weaver, who trains Governor Sam, a son of Improbable. "We were second best with him."
Weaver said he would consider shipping Governor Sam to Kentucky Downs for the Franklin-Simpson.