Mott Plans Three-Way Attack on BC Classic

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott says all four of his Super Saturday horses, including Beldame winner Royal Delta and repeat TVG Jockey Club Gold Cup victor Flat Out  will be pointed to the 2012 Breeders' Cup world Championships.

Mott reported Sept. 30 that all came back well from their efforts the previous afternoon, much better than he could say for himself.

"I feel like I've been run over by a truck," he said.

"Obviously, there's a lot of excitement on a day like that," added Mott. "You've got a number of big runners and some it worked out well, and others it didn't. The good thing is that everybody did come back good, and it looks like we have another chance, another day."

Mott said To Honor and Serve , fourth in the Kelso Handicap (gr. II), and Ron the Greek, sixth in the Gold Cup, would join Flat Out in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park. Royal Delta, last year's champion 3-year-old filly, will defend her title in the $2 million Ladies' Classic a day earlier.

Mott, who also won last year's Classic at Churchill Downs with Drosselmeyer, has never started three horses in the 1 1/4-mile race.

"It's hard enough to get one," he said.

Mott said he was impressed by Royal Delta's easy 9 1/2-length victory in the Beldame Invitational (gr. I) while he characterized Flat Out's win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) as "very professional." He said he was hopeful that Ron the Greek, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) in March, could rebound over a track he likes.

"It didn't surprise me whatsoever," he said of Flat Out, who headed a game Stay Thirsty  in the Gold Cup over a track labeled good. "I thought he was sitting on a race that I thought the outcome could be that. I suppose I was little surprised in Ron the Greek, that he didn't fire. Usually, he's been so consistent for us, but he seemed to not really like the racetrack that much. That's the only thing we can figure out right now."

Despite To Honor and Serve's poor performance, the Woodward (gr. I) winner is still headed to Santa Anita.

"He really didn't try at all," said Mott. "He broke a little sluggish, got bumped a little leaving the gate; he just put in a dull effort. He's coming off a very big effort in Saratoga ... maybe it just took a little more out of him than what we could see. He was eating well, feeling good, worked well. But he didn't have it in the race yesterday.

"The only good thing is, I believe that - win, lose, or draw - it was the best way to get him to the Breeders' Cup Classic."

Mott plans to ship his horses the Sunday or Monday before the Breeders' Cup. He went out early in 1987 with Theatrical, the horse that brought him his first Breeders' Cup win, in the Turf at Hollywood Park, but that was, he said, because of Theatrical's personality.

"It was just to get him settled in and make him feel at home," Mott explained. "These horses are all very professional. Ron (the Greek) could probably fly the plane out there."