Gala Brand scores in the With Anticipation (G3) in August at Saratoga (Chelsea Durand)
Timeout May Come Under Consideration for Curlin
Sterling Silver Could Make Mott Debut in Dancin Renee
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Arnmore Thoroughbreds and Even Keel Thoroughbreds’ Grade 3-winner Gala Brand is probable to return from an over seven-month layoff in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Wild Applause, a one-mile turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Violence chestnut was quite promising during her juvenile season, coming from 14 lengths back in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint to win on debut ahead of a rallying score against colts in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 With Anticipation, both in August at Saratoga Race Course.
Gala Brand’s fall did not feature quite the same success, finishing off-the-board in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont at the Big A and the one-mile Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Santa Anita Park.
She returned to the tab on April 19 at Payson Park Training Center in Florida and has recorded weekly works since, most recently breezing a half-mile in 51.25 seconds over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track on June 10.
“This [Wild Applause] is the plan,” said Mott. “She’s been back and had several good works. We just feel this is the time to start back up.”
A $30,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Gala Brand is out of the multiple graded/group stakes-winning Lord of England mare Olorda and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed James Aloysius.
Mott captured the Wild Applause in June 2015 at Belmont Park with multiple graded stakes winner Celestine, who went on to win the Grade 1 Just a Game there one year later.
A Mott-runner that will see a step up in class is Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Kentucky homebred Timeout, who closed strongly to graduate by a neck Saturday here in a nine-furlong maiden tilt in a final time of 1:49.08.
The third-out performance with the addition of blinkers earned an impressive 95 Beyer Speed Figure, improving upon a 78 when third going one-mile on May 4 at Churchill Downs following a 76 for second on debut sprinting seven furlongs in April at Keeneland.
On Saturday, the Curlin bay came from two lengths back in fourth position to best a field of six that included third-place stablemate Reynolds Channel finishing behind a salty rival in runner-up Military Road, whose place-honors marked his fourth consecutive second for trainer Christophe Clement.
“We think both colts have some potential. Particularly the winner,” said Mott. “We have liked him all along. Third start, he finally showed up.”
Around this time last year, Mott enjoyed success with Scotland, who debuted as a sophomore and made three outings before winning the Curlin in July at Saratoga. He exited to attempt the Grade 1 Travers in August at the Spa and finished off-the-board.
Mott said that Timeout, who now has a similar three races under his belt as the Saratoga-meet approaches, may come under consideration for the $135,000 Curlin on July 19, restricted for 3-year-olds which have not won a graded sweepstakes at a mile or over in 2024.
“Yes, I guess so. We’ll have to take a look,” Mott said.
Out of the multiple graded stakes-winning War Front mare Lull, Timeout is now 3-1-1-1 with $79,750 in earnings.
Mark T. Anderson’s multiple graded-stakes placed New York-bred Sterling Silver is under strong consideration to make her debut for Mott in the local state-bred $125,000 Dancin Renee, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on Sunday.
Mott said that the 5-year-old Cupid gray, who made her first 21 starts for the now-retired Tom Albertrani with a last-out fifth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff in her lone start for Lance Rutledge on May 4 at Churchill, is ready to run again and should fare well in that spot.
“It should help her,” said Mott regarding facing fellow state-breds. “I know there are actually a couple of pretty nice New York bred fillies running.”
Bred in the Empire State by Mallory Mort and Karen Mort, Sterling Silver, out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor, was a $13,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. She boasts an incredible return on investment with $745,551 in purse earnings through a 22-7-3-3 record, including state-bred scores last year in the local Iroquois and as a sophomore in Belmont Park’s Bouwerie and the Big A’s Franklin Square.
