July 29 is a special day for trainer Bill Mott that his fans have come to expect big things from his horses. Saturday was no exception.
Mott celebrated his 70th birthday with another Grade 1 victory at the upscale Saratoga meeting in upstate New York. Don't look now, but the man who saddled Cigar, a reluctant turf star, to 16 consecutive victories on dirt is at it again with 5-year-old Elite Power's winning streak now at eight after taking the Grade 1 $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap.
Curlin's son won by a head over Gun Runner product Gunite, matching sires with three Horse of the Year awards. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode both Elite Power and fellow champion Forte later in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy for Todd Pletcher, who like Mott is in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame at Saratoga.
Taking his latest success in stride, Mott said it had been calculated that over the last 26 years, he had won a race on his birthday 17 times. So what was one to do but update that list?
"Winning on your birthday is fun, but the most important thing is that we generate grade 1 wins for a major stable like this horse did (for breeder Alpha Delta Stables and owner Juddmonte)," Mott said. "That's what it is really all about."
Elite Power counts the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on a record that includes five graded victories and two grade 1s. The Vanderbilt, named for the late owner of Native Dancer, derived strength for his first wet-track start from Curlin, who won the 2007 G1 BC Classic by 4 1/2 lengths at Monmouth Park on a sloppy track.
"You just don't know," Mott said. "It's like trying a new distance for the first time. When you try a new track surface, you just don't know what's going to happen."
Elite Power ($4.20) went six furlongs in 1:09.22 over a sloppy but sealed track.
"He doesn't like to lose, I know that much," said Juddmonte general manager Garrett O'Rourke. "You can liken him to a lot of those sports stars that have the unwillingness to be beaten."
Next up for Elite Power may be the Grade 1 $500,000 Forego Aug. 26 on the Travers undercard at Saratoga. Mott also trains multiple Grade 1 winner Cody's Wish, the reigning BC Dirt Mile winner.
Forte scored for the first time since the Grade 1 Florida Derby, having scratched from the Kentucky Derby on race day and placing second in the Belmont Stakes.
Now 7 for 9 lifetime, the Violence colt survived a stewards' inquiry after he and Angel of Empire appeared to bump in the stretch. Angel of Empire dead-heated for third in the Belmont, his biggest victory coming April 1 in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
Donning blinkers for the first time, Forte had owner Mike Repole in his corner before and after the race.
"If he lost by a nose, no," Repole said when asked if the colt benefited Saturday in terms of conditioning. "If he wins by a nose, yes. He had 10 weeks off before the Belmont and seven weeks here. I think he will be sharper for the Travers. This was a good stepping stone."
Saudi Crown took second for trainer Brad Cox, who also sent out Angel of Empire and last-place Oaklawn winner Hit Show. Asmussen-trained Disarm, a last-out grade 3 winner, was fourth. Cox-trained Loggins finished second to the juvenile champion in the G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland last year.
"I'm getting tired of running against Forte," Cox said with a laugh. "I'm very proud of (Saudi Crown)'s effort. He's a grade 1 horse in the future."
Forte ($3.50) got up by a nostril over Saudi Crown in the latter's first two-turn race, the winner clocking nine furlongs in 1:49.61. The $1.25 million Travers is a mile and a quarter with Derby winner Mage and Belmont winner Arcangelo expected to compete.