Yoshida getting a gallop
Photo Credit Eclipse Sportswire / Breeders’ Cup Photos ©
Elate and stablemate Yoshida both galloped Wednesday and went through the paddock with exercise rider Juan Quintero aboard each.With this being the 10-year anniversary of champion Zenyatta becoming the first and –to date –only female runner to win the Classic, more than one observer has mentioned how fitting it would be should Elate match that feat Saturday.
That Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is even putting such a challenge before the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro speaks volumes about his confidence in the multiple Grade I winner.
“We’re throwing her in deep water. We seldom run the fillies against the colts unless we think we’ve got a top class horse and one that would fit the race,” Mott said.“I think she fits the conditions of the race very well and she’s proven it. Of course we’re running against good competition so she still has to run her very best race to compete.”
Yoshida is winless in five starts this year but, with Grade I triumphs on dirt and turf, is one of the most versatile runners on the entire Breeders’ Cup card.“It’s very rare. Generally, with most horses they are either clearly one or the other,”
Mott said of Yoshida’s dual surface top-level ability. “I mean it’s just interesting how sometimes you can have a horse who is so good on the dirt. I mean you can have a champion horse and run them on the turf and they just don’t do that well. It should make him an interesting stallion prospect just the fact that he’s done both.”
