Scylla

Bill Mott, who brought along Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) to wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and Travers, has been been given the Eclipse Award for Best Trainer. In addition to Sovereignty, Mott also trainer 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Scylla (Tapit) to a win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. From 662 starts, Mott finished out 2025 with a record of 106-85-97 and earnings of $17,165,020. This is Mott's fifth Eclipse Award; he was previously honored in 2024, 2011, 1996 and 1995, 1996.

The World Championships concluded Saturday with sterling efforts and drama abound, and the connections of the newly crowned took Sunday morning to provide updates on their charges as they look ahead. Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that all six of his Breeders' Cup horses came out of their races in good order, and plans for MGISW Journalism (Curlin)--whether to continue racing or retirement--will be finalized in the coming week. The colt finished fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz. "This is more or less what we've seen from him...

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...

Between travelers en route and those already on grounds, Distaff contenders put in their final preps in advance of the World Championships this weekend and connections provide their thoughts on how their charges are doing. Multiple Grade I winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) was out on track Monday morning at Del Mar to work four furlongs in :49.80 (5/5) with Neil Poznansky up for the ride. According to his connections, it was all by design and all systems are go. "He went easy. He had an extended gallop and then he...

Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) breezed five furlongs in 1:01.39 over the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Sunday as he prepares for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty was piloted in the work by assistant trainer Neil Poznansky, starting slightly in front of workmate Playa Del Mar [1:02.27] before kicking away in the stretch and finishing several lengths in front. NYRA Clockers caught Sovereignty through splits of :24 2/5, :36 3/5 and galloping out in 1:14 3/5 over the fast...

by Jill Williams & J.N. Campbell A spectacular Fall Stars Weekend both continues and concludes Sunday at Keeneland, highlighted by the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 1. While entries may seem sparse for such an historic race with a $650,000 purse, they pack a punch with the reigning Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), making her first start in front of the home crowd since her open daylight debut over this surface at this meet two...

It's not often a Grade I-winning mare recreates her success in her offspring, but seven years after her dam was prima ballerina at the Spa, Hope Road (Quality Road) sailed home convincingly in the GI Ballerina Stakes to take home her first elite level victory. Hope Road was last seen May 26 running third in the GIII Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs and before that hit the board against Grade I company for the first time May 3 in GI Derby City Distaff when fellow California girl MGISW Kopion...

There really isn't a whole lot that trainer Bill Mott has left to accomplish in the Thoroughbred business. Since recording his first graded stakes victory with Heatherten--who also gave him his first Grade I success--for owner John Franks some 41 years ago, the 72-year-old has saddled the winners of over 150 top-level contests with superstars of either sex, such as Taylor's Special, Theatrical (Ire), Paradise Creek, Fraise, legendary dual Horse of the Year Cigar, Ajina, Escena, Wekiva Springs, Favorite Trick, Dream Supreme and her son Majestic Warrior, Drosselmeyer, To Honor...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. - A year ago, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) buzzed through her season, winning six of seven starts--five of them Grade Is--on her way to Horse of the Year honors. Kenny McPeek, Thorpedo Anna's trainer, says his stable star is just as good, if not better, than she was a year ago. The 4-year-old filly, still as popular as ever, will get the chance to prove it on Saturday when she runs in the GI, $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. "Every bit," McPeek said...

Even with a lack of it for this running of the GII Honorable Miss Stakes in Saratoga, the Sunshine State was well-represented as Halina's Forte (Mitole) outbattled fellow Florida-bred R Disaster (Awesome Slew) to earn her first graded stakes win. Given the cold shoulder by the betting public, she went off at 24-1 long odds for this sloppy (sealed) running of the contest, and was content to watch R Disaster set the pace as she saved all the ground on the rail in fifth. Still in midpack behind an opening...

2nd-SAR, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f, 12:16 p.m. RESURGE (Constitution) is the latest offspring to the races for Juddmonte out of the champion mare Close Hatches who has already produced this runner's three-quarter Tapit siblings--Tacitus, 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla and Batten Down. Close Hatches herself is a full-sister to SW/MGISP Lockdown who has found success as a broodmare as well by producing dual champion mare Idiomatic (Curlin). The blue-blooded family also includes G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas victor Siskin (First Defence). Amongst those lined up to oppose her is...

Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief) was out over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday morning as his preparations for the GI Belmont Stakes continued while a fleet of Grade I hopefuls also put in their works for respective contests. Putting in his second move since winning the nation's top prize for sophomores in early May, the Godolphin homebred went in company with fellow Grade I-winner Arthur's Ride (Tapit)--the pair clocking five panels in 1:02.54 (4/5) and 1:02.94 (5/5), respectively. Sovereignty started two lengths behind the grey and to his outside....