Arthur’s Ride gives Mott and Alvarado a thrilling experience at Saratoga Race Course in Whitney

Sports

August 4, 2024

Updated: August 4, 2024

By Jack Sullivan

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A flawless performance, ⁢a perfect 10, was⁤ witnessed at the Saratoga Race Course ⁢on Saturday.

The only thing left was to nail the ⁤landing.

This⁢ wasn’t a scene from the Paris⁢ Olympics, but ‌rather a display of jockey acrobatics by Junior Alvarado. Arthur’s Ride, under Alvarado’s guidance, ⁢took the‌ lead and won the $1 million Whitney Stakes. However, the horse tried to shake off his ⁣rider during the gallop-out.

Alvarado was thrown off the saddle but managed‍ to hit the‌ ground running, holding onto the reins ⁤to regain control over Arthur’s Ride.

With this victory, trainer Bill Mott finally clinched‍ his first Whitney win, marking ‍a significant milestone in his Hall of Fame career.

The win also held a special‍ significance for owner Karl Glassman, who named the horse‌ in honor of ‌his late father.

“My father knew that I named the horse ‍after him before he⁤ passed away. He told ⁢me, ‘You didn’t have to do that,’ to which I replied, ‘Dad, I ‍really⁤ did. You had a great ride.’ He was 91 and ⁤had lived a fulfilling life,” Glassman shared.

Alvarado’s ⁣ride was smooth until it wasn’t.

He guided the⁣ grey ‍Arthur’s Ride, who⁤ was almost 7-1 on the‌ toteboard, from the⁣ No.⁢ 11 post, maintaining a lead of just over a⁣ length on⁢ Skippylongstocking down the backstretch. He was never threatened⁣ by the group ‍of horses trailing behind him in the stretch.

Arthur’s‍ Ride, making his stakes debut,‌ won by 2 ⁣1/4 lengths over ⁢Crupi, who came‌ from ‍the back⁤ of the 11-horse field to secure the place.

“Arthur’s Ride broke very sharp, I put him on⁢ the lead and he took it from there,” Alvarado said. “He was traveling very beautifully the whole way. When I hit the quarter pole, he was⁢ still pricking his ears, ‍and I ‌was like, ‘Oh, boy, I think⁤ I have plenty ⁤of horse⁢ left.’

“When I asked him, he took off ‍for me and ran a beautiful race.”

However, Arthur’s ⁢Ride got spooked during the gallop-out ⁢and⁣ dumped Alvarado.

“I ‍don’t know‌ what he was‌ looking at,” Alvarado said with⁢ a big grin. “I ⁣knew he was looking at ⁢something, and I was ⁣trying⁣ to get a hold of him. He spooked a little quicker than I thought and he kind of dropped me, but I never let him go. I was hanging on. It happens⁣ sometimes. ⁣He‌ was fine after that.”

According to Whitney charts on Equibase since ‍1991, Mott, who was inducted to ‌the National Racing⁢ Museum Hall of Fame ⁢in 1998, had saddled 12 Whitney horses ‍without a win, finishing second ⁤with Yoshida in⁢ 2019, with Lawyer Ron in 2012 and with Chief Honcho in 1991.

Even Cody’s Wish couldn’t win it ⁤for Mott during ⁤a 2023 Horse of the Year season, when he was otherwise undefeated.

Mott ‍deflected ⁤attention away from his first ⁣Whitney ⁣victory ⁣to the horse who earned it, owners Karl and Cathi Glassman and Barry Eisaman, who specializes in rehabilitating injured ⁢horses at‌ his ⁢farm in Ocala, Florida.

“It’s‌ a very important race. It’s ‌a Grade ⁣I and ⁢one of the top two or three‌ races that they’ll run in‍ Saratoga,” ‌Mott said. “It’s really nice, and I’m really glad for the Glassmans, for Karl ⁢and Cathi.

“I must say everybody’s done a great‍ job with⁢ this horse. It was a long layup last year. Barry Eisaman ‍had him on his farm and did a tremendous job getting him back to us in good shape.

“There’s‌ a time when they’re on the farm laid⁤ up⁤ and you don’t know if you’re ever going to see them again.”

“To be part of Bill ⁣Mott ⁤winning his first ⁢Whitney — my goodness, ⁣we’ll wake up, but I don’t⁢ know when. I almost ⁢hope we don’t,” Karl‍ Glassman said ‌with a ‍laugh.

Met Mile winner National Treasure, ⁤who was bet down to 4-5, lurked in fourth, then ⁤third, but faded in the stretch to‍ finish sixth

“He didn’t‍ feel very good on it [muddy track],” ⁤jockey Flavien Prat said. “He was traveling, switching leads and he was not as quick today. I would imagine it was the⁣ track.”

National Treasure had ⁣enjoyed a long run as the top-ranked horse in North America this season, and when Mott was asked if the older dirt male division⁢ was little⁣ muddier now, he grinned and said, “Well, we might get honorable mention now.”

WAYS AND MEANS ⁢ROLLS

Ways and Means, like her father,⁣ displayed ‍a performance reminiscent of her siblings ⁢in the ‌Grade I Test ⁣on the Whitney undercard.

Guided by Prat, the daughter of Practical Joke won her graded stakes, by 2 1/2 lengths over Emery.

Ways and Means is by Practical Joke,‍ who ⁣won ‍the 2016 Grade⁢ I‌ Hopeful and the 2017 Grade I Allen Jerkens at Saratoga, and out of the mare⁣ Strong ⁣Incentive, who has‍ also ⁤produced ⁢graded stakes winners⁤ Highly Motivated⁢ and Surge Capacity.

The common ‍thread is owner Seth Klarman of Klaravich ⁢Stables, who bred Ways and Means, and trainer Chad Brown.

“We don’t breed many ‌horses, so ‍we decided to take a chance on this mare⁣ because we really liked ⁤her, and she’s been so good⁤ to us,” Brown said. “Her daughter here has far surpassed her.”

That’s an understatement.

Strong Incentive’s six-race career ‍as a runner amounted to⁢ a win in a maiden claiming race at Saratoga⁤ and a win in a listed stakes at ⁣Woodbine.

Among her progeny, Highly Motivated is a ⁤graded stakes winner who ⁢ran in the 2021 Kentucky ⁢Derby,‌ Surge⁤ Capacity‍ won the Grade ‍III Lake George at Saratoga and the ⁢Grade I Matriarch in 2023, ⁣and now ⁣Ways⁣ and Means is a Grade I winner.

Like her father,⁢ she has settled comfortable into‍ shorter distances, after‍ finishing fourth behind⁣ Thorpedo Anna in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks⁣ at a mile and an eighth on June 6.

“She looks‌ a lot like the sire, almost a ‌spitting image, really,” Brown said. “Same color, everything.

“We always knew she’s‍ a ‌true Grade I horse. She’s had ‌some bad ⁤luck along the way and really showed a lot of heart and perseverance to ⁢overcome‌ her injury⁤ last year. She dealt with a sealed track today. We ‌weren’t sure if she was going to like it. ⁢And‌ she just really showed up. She deserved this today.”

Brightwork, who‍ won the Adirondack⁤ and Spinaway last ‍year, was a paddock scratch when she flipped onto her side.

She looked OK when she got‍ back to her feet, but was removed from the ⁣field.

Ways and Means broke from the starting gate sharply to take the lead, and gave ‍it up briefly⁣ down the ⁣backstretch when Emery came up the rail.

She put pressure on ⁢Emery coming around the turn and regained the lead for good just before‍ the quarter pole.

“She broke so well, I could’ve gone⁤ if⁢ I wanted,” Prat said. “I could’ve just crossed‍ over and gone to the rail. But⁤ I ⁤figured I‌ was fine in the middle of the track, and if somebody on the inside was willing to go, I had no problem with⁣ that. She always runs with a‌ target, so I ⁢didn’t think it was the day to try something ⁣like that.”

Brown said that, working backward on the schedule from the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, there’s a chance ⁢Ways ‌and Means may train up to it ⁢without racing.

“Obviously,‌ she has to face older ⁢horses in⁤ that race,”⁤ he⁤ said. “She showed today, though, that she does good with good spacing in between⁢ her ‍races. ⁣She runs so fast and hard, I don’t think she needs to run much between ⁢now and then. Maybe one start somewhere.”

Jack Sullivan

Jack Sullivan, an informed and passionate sports reporter, is a former college athlete with a degree in Sports Communication from Ithaca College. Go Bombers!