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William I. Mott

Statistics by Year:
 

Category Starters Starts Starts/Starter 1st 2nd 3rd Win % % 1st, 2nd or 3rd Earned Avg Earnings per Start Avg Earnings Per Starter
Dirt 100 214 2.14 47 39 30 21.96% 54.21% $8,530,368 $39,862 $85,304
Turf 63 114 1.81 12 12 9 10.53% 28.95% $954,644 $8,374 $15,153
All Weather 6 7 1.17 1 0 0 14.29% 14.29% $26,890 $3,841 $4,482
Total 139 335 2.41 60 51 39 17.91% 44.78% $9,511,902 $28,394 $68,431
  
Graded Stakes 26 36 1.38 5 7 5 13.89% 47.22% $5,524,965 $153,471 $212,499
Black-type Stakes 33 60 1.82 10 12 9 16.67% 51.67% $6,079,315 $101,322 $184,222
Two-year-olds 6 6 1 0 0 1 0% 16.67% $24,100 $4,017 $4,017
Claiming 7 8 1.14 3 3 0 37.5% 75% $139,246 $17,406 $19,892
First-time starters 44 44 2 6 4 4.55% 27.27% $256,471 $5,829 $5,829
Name: William I. Mott
Email: wimottrace@aol.com
Trainer Bio

Top Associated Horses: Ron the Greek, Royal Delta, Close Hatches, To Honor and Serve, Flat Out,  Newsdad, Emollient, Cigar

    Born: July 29, 1953, Mobridge, S.D.

    Residence: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

    Family: wife Tina Marie, sons Brady Thomas and Riley Tucker, daughter Olivia.

    Mott has had 69 career Breeders’ Cup starters, the first coming with Taylor’s Special in the 1986 Sprint. Taylor’s Special returned to the Sprint in 1987, the same year Mott picked up his first Breeders’ Cup victory with Theatrical in the Turf.

    Mott’s eight Breeders’ Cup wins have come in three races: the Turf (Theatrical, 1987; Fraise, 1992); the Ladies’ Classic (Ajina, 1997; Escena, 1998; Unrivaled Belle, 2010; Royal Delta, 2011); and the Classic (Cigar, 1995; Drosselmeyer, 2011).   In Breeders’ Cup history, Mott is tied for third in wins and is second with $14,441,210 in purses.

    Mott has trained six year-end champions: Royal Delta, the top 3-year-old filly of 2011; Ajina, the top 3-year-old filly of 1987; Cigar, the top older male and Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996; Escena, the top older female of 1998; Theatrical, the top turf male of 1987; and Paradise Creek, the top turf male of 1994.

In 2012, Royal Delta joined Bayakoa (ARG) as the only horse in Breeders' Cup history to winning back-to-back editions of the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. In 2011, the Kentucky bred daughter of Empire Maker won four of seven starts and capped it with a dominant win in the Ladies' Classic at Churchill Downs and earned the Eclipse Award as Champion 3-year-old Filly.  She won the Eclipse for 2013 Champion Older Female.

But just days after her Breeders' Cup win, Royal Delta was sold for $8.5 million to Benjamin Leon's Besilu Stables at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. It was the third highest price ever for the Keeneland November sale.

    Mott's phenomenal success at Churchill Downs – where he is the all-time wins leader – continued in 2012 when he captured the G1 Stephen Foster with Ron the Greek and the G2 Fleur de Lis with Royal Delta on the same June 16 card. “To me it’s great when you can win two races like that,” he said. “It’s something special to have a couple of nice horses and be able to compete in the best races. We have a handful of horses who can win those type of races and that’s what it’s all about.”

    Other graded stakes triumphs in 2012 include To Honor and Serve in the G1 Woodward, Ron the Greek in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap and Royal Delta in the G2 Delaware Handicap.

    Mott has enjoyed amazing success on his birthday, winning 14 races. His 2012 birthday present was Alaura Michele, who paid $15.60 for her win on the day the Hall of Fame trainer turned 59.  “It’s like lions eating wildebeests, I suppose,” Mott said of the feat. “It’s part of nature’s plan.”  Since 2006, $2 win bets on each of Mott’s July 29 starters generated a profit of $42.40.

    In 2011, became only the second trainer to win both the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in the same year when he captured the Ladies' Classic with Royal Delta and the Classic with Drosselmeyer. “Nice weekend,” the ever-humble Mott said to Daily Racing Form after Drosselmeyer's victory. John Shirreffs was the first to win both races when Zenyatta won the Classic and Life Is Sweet took the Ladies' Classic in 2009.

    Other 2011 stakes wins included the G1 Alabama with Royal Delta, and the G1 Shoemaker Mile with Courageous Cat. Royal Delta also captured the G2 Black-Eyed Susan. Also, the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile with Aviate (GB), the G3 Poker with Courageous Cat, the G2 Brooklyn Handicap with Birdrun, the G3 Chicago Handicap with Devil by Design, and the $1 million G2 Pennsylvania Derby with To Honor and Serve.

    In 2010, Mott picked up his first Triple Crown victory with Drosselmeyer’s upset of the Belmont Stakes at odds of 13-1. Mott has had only 14 Triple Crown starters: seven in the Kentucky Derby, two in the Preakness and five in the Belmont.

    The son of a veterinarian, Mott would tag along on his father’s rounds and, as a result, knew from an early age that his life would be spent around horses.  Owned and trained his first horse, a $320 mare named My Assets, who he ran at unrecognized meets in South Dakota, winning his first race at a recognized track with her at now-defunct Park Jefferson. Aided by purse earnings from My Assets, he spent $2,000 on a horse named Kosmic Tour, who won the South Dakota Futurity at Park Jefferson before Mott was out of high school.

    Worked for three years under Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg, going out on his own in the fall of 1978.  In 1998, at the age of 45, Mott became the youngest trainer ever inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., an honor previously held by Allen Jerkens.    Became the ninth trainer in North American Thoroughbred history to reach 4,000 wins with Mystic at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 7, 2010.

    Was voted back-to-back Eclipse Awards as top trainer in 1995 and 1996, and was the recipient of the New York Turf Writers Association Outstanding Trainer Award in 1995, 1995 and 2000. Along with Cigar, late owner Allen Paulson and jockey Jerry Bailey, won the Turf Publicists of America Big Sport of Turfdom Award in 1996.

    Will always be best remembered for his training of Cigar, winner of a record-tying 16 consecutive races in 1995-96. The streak included victories in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the inaugural Dubai World Cup, and ended with the Arlington-Citation Challenge. Said Mott of Cigar, “He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained. He may be the best horse anyone has ever trained.”

        Mott has won nine training titles at Saratoga, 10 titles at Belmont Park, nine at Gulfstream Park and five at Keeneland. .He is the all-time winningest trainer at Churchill Downs, and set the record for number of victories at a single Churchill Downs meeting, 54, during the 1984 spring meet.

    Currently has a stable of approximately 100 horses, based primarily in New York and Kentucky.

What's your normal use of veterinary services to manage horses on a day-today basis:
  • Aggressive ($700+ month/horse)
  • Moderate ($300 - $600 month/horse)
  • Occasional (less than $300 month/horse)
Other than day rate, does your billing include charges for:
  • Veterinary
  • Blacksmith
  • Vanning
  • Travel
  • Other
How often do you communicate with Owners:
  • Daily
  • 2-3 times a week
  • Once a week
  • As needed

Top 10 Winning Horses - Past 12 months

Horse Sex Current Earnings Best Win Race Class Best Win Stake
Sovereignty Colt $4,872,800 Grade 1 winner Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve G1
Arthur's Ride Colt $590,000 Grade 1 winner Whitney S. G1
Scythian Filly $177,500 Grade 2 winner Miss Grillo S. G2
Nic's Style Filly $415,570 Grade 3 winner Hurricane Bertie S. G3
Parchment Party Colt $187,141 Grade 3 winner Belmont Gold Cup S. G3
Rocket Can Colt $150,660 Grade 3 winner Harlan's Holiday S. G3
Mansa Musa (IRE) Colt $156,875 Listed winner Colonel Power S.
Batten Down Ridgling $318,450 Stakes winner Bourbon Flight S.
Scotland Gelding $280,825 Stakes winner Cherokee Mile S.
T Kraft Colt $206,374 Stakes winner Jimmy Winkfield S.
Horse Sex Earnings Best Race Class Best Stake
Cigar Colt $7,510,640 Horse of the year Breeders' Cup Classic G1
Cody's Wish Colt $3,106,030 Horse of the year Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. G1
Royal Delta Filly $4,811,126 Champion 3-year-old filly TVG Alabama S. G1
Ajina Filly $1,327,915 Champion 3-year-old filly Coaching Club American Oaks G1
Channel Maker Gelding $3,809,910 Champion 3-year-old colt Man o' War S. G1
Elite Power Colt $3,775,711 Champion male sprinter Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint G1
Escena Filly $2,962,639 Champion older mare Breeders' Cup Distaff G1
Close Hatches Filly $2,707,300 Champion older mare Cotillion S. G1
Paradise Creek Colt $2,687,514 Champion grass horse Arlington Million S. G1
Just F Y I Filly $1,727,530 Champion 2-year-old filly NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies G1
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