Baby Yoda.
Mott baffled by Resilience’s G1 Belmont, thrilled with horse for course Baby Yoda
Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Notes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott remained mystified Sunday morning after seeing Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino winner Resilience finish last-of-10 in Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.
Racing for the first time since running sixth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs, Resilience was urged from post 2 by jockey Junior Alvarado and raced close to a testing pace set by Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey before fading late as Dornoch sprung a half-length upset of lightly raced Mindframe.
“I learned nothing. The race was too bad to be true,” Mott said. “When they run that poorly, we need to look and see if there’s something wrong that we’ve been missing. We’ll keep researching and see if we can find anything wrong. Something’s out of whack.”
Saturday’s Day Three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival started on a much happier note for Mott when Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable and Jerold Zaro’s Baby Yoda romped to a six-length victory in the Grade 2, $350,000 True North presented by F. W. Webb. It was the fourth win in six career starts at Saratoga for the 6-year-old gelding, earning his first graded-stakes success after going winless in 2023.
“A horse for a course,” Mott said. “He exceeded any expectations we had, the way he ran. We thought it was a tough spot and we hoped he’d run well, and he really ran great. He loves this course.”
Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed’s Bendoog wound up beaten a half-length when second as the favorite in the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban for Mott. The 5-year-old son of Gun Runner led nearly the length of the stretch before grudgingly giving way late to Crupi, holding the place by a neck over Masqueparade.
Mott was delighted with the Bendoog’s first foray into North American graded company after coming over from the Middle East where he was Group 1 and Group 2-placed.
“He ran a good race. I was pleased,” he said. “I would have liked to have given him a little push at the end there, but he ran well.”
LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable’s multi-millionaire Casa Creed finished fourth in the Grade 2, $350,000 Poker, beaten two lengths by 24-1 longshot Ice Chocolat. It was the first time worse than third in his Saratoga career for the 8-year-old gelding following four wins and two thirds from six prior starts. Two of those wins came in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap [2022, 2023].
“A little disappointing,” Mott said. “It was kind of a slow pace for that race, and he was maybe back a little far. When it was time to go, everybody in front of him was running, too. He didn’t run horrible. It wasn’t disgraceful but certainly it wasn’t his best race by any means.”
Glassman Racing’s Arthur’s Ride will be pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 1 at Saratoga following his eye-catching 12 3/4-length optional claiming allowance victory on Friday’s program. It was the third win from four starts this year for the 4-year-old Tapit colt and marked an impressive rebound after running ninth as the favorite in a similar event going one mile on May 3 at Churchill.
Arthur’s Ride crossed the wire in 2:00.99 for 1 1/4 miles, quicker than Crupi’s 2:02.71 in the Suburban and Dornoch’s 2:01.64 in the Belmont at the same distance on Saturday’s card.
“I was as impressed as everybody else that saw him run. He ran super. He ran faster than the Suburban and the Belmont,” Mott said. “They run the Jockey Gold Cup at Saratoga now at the end of the meet, so we’ll probably point for that if all goes well. We may have to shoot for something before that.”
Like Resilience, Mott had no explanation for 2-Year-Old Filly Champion Just F Y I’s sixth-place finish behind Thorpedo Anna in Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn.
Undefeated in three starts at two, Just F Y I had run second in her two prior races this year, the Grade 1 Ashland and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, the latter also to Thorpedo Anna.
“She came back OK, but we’re going to do some research and see if we can find anything wrong,” Mott said. “She’s had some good races when she’s up close to the lead. Maybe she went a little too fast, but the winner was right on her hip. The winner was right there. She went on, and we didn’t.”
