Riley Mott making new memories at Gulfstream

When Riley Mott shipped his stable to South Florida for the 2023-2024 Championship Meet, he brought with him many childhood memories enjoyed at Gulfstream Park.

The 31-year-old son of Bill Mott, the Hall of Fame trainer who has achieved many career highlights at Gulfstream, is counting on making many more memories in the future. He is off to a fast start.

Stabled at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Mott has saddled 11 winners from 47 starters for a 23-percent strike rate during his first meet at Gulfstream Park in his second full season on his own.

“I couldn’t be happier. The results have been great. I think we’ve done really well for our clients down here. The horses look good. I’m very happy how the horses have done at Palm Meadows. I think it’s a great surface and a great facility. I feel lucky to be there. It’s been very conducive for the horses we have.”

Mott, who saddled Sand and Sea for a victory in the $100,000 Orange Blossom overnight handicap Dec. 31, will make a bid for his first stakes victory at Gulfstream Saturday when he saddles Beeline for the $100,000 Hutcheson, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds.

Beeline, an impressive debut winner at Gulfstream Feb. 10, is rated second on the morning line at 5-2 for the Hutcheson, which will mark the dirt debut of Valiant Force, the 7-5 morning-line favorite who finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Nov. 3.

The Mott-trained son of Bee Jersey dispatched a field of maiden special weight foes by 3 ¾ lengths while running six furlongs in a slick 1:09.74 under returning Edgard Zayas.

“We knew he was doing well. He’s been working well and he’s a good-looking physical. We were hoping he’d run well, but you don’t necessarily expect them to run that big first time. We don’t train that way,” Mott said. “He made the lead, fended off a challenge and kept on going – a professional race on his part,” Mott said.