Bill Mott Duo Takes on Deep Madison Field

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott sends out a pair in a deep field for the $650,000 Madison Stakes (G1) April 4 at Keeneland. The race for older fillies and mares is run at 7 furlongs on the dirt. The field of eight is jam-packed, with every entrant being a stakes winner.

Grand Job  enters as the more fancied of Mott's runners as the 2-1 favorite on the morning line. Owned by Bell Tower Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, and Mark Stanton, the 5-year-old Justify   mare won her lone start of the year, taking the Jan. 24 Inside Information Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Mott took over her training in 2024, after she previously raced in Ireland under trainer Joseph O'Brien.

Grand Job won her first start for Mott by 6 lengths in a maiden race at Aqueduct Racetrack. She then won an allowance race by 8 1/4 lengths before jumping into stakes company. She was second in last year's Royal Delta Stakes (G3) to Dazzling Move . Since making the move to Mott and America, Grand Job has started six times, winning four races, and finishing second once. She earned her first graded stakes win in the Inside Information Stakes with jockey Junior Alvarado, who will retain the mount. 

The second of Mott's entrants is 5-1 Ragtime , who is making the first start of her 4-year-old season. The daughter of Union Rags   began her career last year at 3, winning her first two races. She was then second in the Test Stakes (G1) by a neck, before earning her first graded stakes win in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. She closed out her year with back-to-back third-pace finishes in the Raven Run Stakes (G2) and the Chilukki Stakes (G3). Five of her six career starts have come at 7 furlongs, including all three of her wins. John Velazquez will climb aboard the Godolphin homebred for the first time, replacing Alvarado, who had ridden her in all six of her previous starts.

The field of eight also includes Clicquot , who is also making her 4-year-old debut. The Brendan Walsh trainee was the winner of two graded stakes last year, the Indiana Oaks (G3) and Cotillion Stakes (G1). The daughter of Quality Road  's final start as a 3-year-old came in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), where she finished fourth. Owned by X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, SF Racing, and Blue Horseshoe Racing, Clicquot is shortening back up in distance. She broke her maiden at last year's spring meet and has been stretched out since, earning three wins at 1 1/16 miles and contesting the 1 1/8-mile Distaff. 

The Madison is one of two grade 1 races on an action-packed opening Saturday card at Keeneland's spring meet. The day is highlighted by the Blue Grass Stakes (G1).