Junior Alvarado

A week ago, if Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had been able to look into the future and see a preview of himself heading to the winner's circle on Breeders' Cup Saturday, he would likely have rested easily, fairly certain he would be winning the GI Classic for a third time. After all, he shipped just two horses across the country for the 42nd Breeders' Cup, headlined by dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), whose expected appearance as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Classic helped make it the...

Pin Oak Stud's Stars and Strides (American Pharoah) capped a memorable Saratoga meeting for his owner, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado, slicing through at the fence in upper stretch and powering home to take Monday's Listed Saranac Stakes. A narrow, but highly impressive debut winner (92 Beyer Speed Figure) in a seven-furlong maiden on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 7, the $475,000 Keeneland September graduate was a distant seventh of 11 trying winners for the first time going the same distance on July 19. That prompted a move...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At 6:30 Sunday morning, Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the hero of the 156h GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, was out and about around the Hall of Fame barn of trainer Bill Mott at the Oklahoma Training Track The 3-year-old colt, fresh off his resounding 10-length win in the Travers, grazed in the courtyard at the barn, looking like he could run another 1 ¼ miles later in the day. The margin of victory is tied for the fourth largest in Travers history. Sovereignty's blowout win was the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--As the hours shrink to minutes and the 156th running of the GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes gets upon us, those closest to Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the 2-5 morning-line favorite, handle the agonizing moments until post time in different ways. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott admitted he'll "probably" be nervous. "It's like being on the freeway," he said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track as Sovereignty munched on some grass a few feet away. "Defensive driving all the time. So far, everything has been good....

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Jockey Junior Alvarado, the race day partner of Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the leading 3-year-old in the country, knows how everyone feels now. That's because he saw up close just how powerful Sovereignty is. Sovereignty had his final work before next weekend's $1.25 million GI Travers Stakes Saturday morning at the Oklahoma Training Track. As usual, he was being ridden by Neil Poznansky, the assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Alvarado, helping the barn out, climbed aboard Fort Nelson (Bernardini), who was Sovereignty's workmate for...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Hindered at the start and helped at the end, when it counted the most, Quiet Street (Street Boss) launched her career Wednesday with a victory in the finale at Saratoga Race Course. The chart shows that the Godolphin homebred trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott won the $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies by a neck over Lit Ship (Midshipman). She completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf Course in 1:03.72 and paid $15.60. Getting to the wire first was an adventure....

9th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.72, fm, neck. QUIET STREET (f, 2, Street Boss--Serene, by Tapit) overcame a rough start to win the Wednesday nightcap for the Sovereignty connections. A sneaky-live 6-1 from an 8-1 morning line, the homebred was pinched back from between horses at the break and was forced to travel from the rear, but was allowed to settle and was not ridden off her feet by Junior Alvarado. Last, but under a hold on the turn, Quiet Street swung into action seven or eight...

Juddmonte's Spiced Up took advantage of a quick early pace to close from well off of it and take Sunday's Saratoga feature, the GIII Mahony Stakes. Given a 9-2 chance with Junior Alvarado in the saddle, the sophomore was settled back early as Ortley Avenue (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) and Gabaldon (Gone Astray) exchanged blows up front, carving out a crisp opening quarter in :21.15. Still several lengths to make up through a half in :43.71, the bay seemingly had a lot left to do straightening for home. Rallying with...

Pin Oak Stud's World Beater (c, 3, Oscar Performance--Dabinett, by Blame), second last out behind Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the July 4 GI Belmont Derby, turned the tables on that rival to give his young trainer Riley Mott the first graded stakes win of his career in Saratoga's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Saturday. The son of and former assistant to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Riley Mott is no stranger to racing's biggest stage. It will perhaps be more of a surprise to learn this is the...

Despite the fact that Journalism (Curlin) became the first of his generation to earn as many as three elite-level victories with his thrilling success in the GI NYRABets Haskell Stakes last weekend, Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) remains at the head of this year's sophomore class by virtue of convincing head-to-head tallies in the GI Kentucky Derby on May 3 and when last seen in the GI Belmont Stakes right here at Saratoga on June 7. But the argument can be made that Saturday's GII Jim Dandy Stakes at the Spa...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--One of the most anticipated horses on the grounds at Saratoga comes to the races on Saturday. His name is Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and he is the unquestioned headliner in the GII, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes, the traditional local prep for the GI, $1.5 million Travers Stakes on Aug, 23. Why shouldn't he be? He has already won the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes and is regarded as the best 3-year-old colt in the land. Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has ridden Sovereignty in six of his...

SARATOGA SPRINGS--When Neil Poznansky, sitting on the back of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes champion Sovereignty (Into Mischief), saw jockey Junior Alvarado early Friday morning, he wore a wide smile. "How'd I do?" Poznansky said. Alvarado grinned back. No answer necessary. Sovereignty did what Poznansky, Alvarado and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott wanted to see as he had his second work since winning the Belmont last month. Working in company with 4-year-old stablemate Jefferson Street (Street Sense), Sovereignty and Poznansky, Mott's assistant, covered four furlongs in :48.99...