Mott sweeps Sunshine Millions turf events

Trainer Bill Mott orchestrated a transcontinental triple in the Sunshine
Millions on Saturday. Before taking the marquee Sunshine Millions Classic with
Go Between (Point Given), Mott warmed up by sending
out Florida-breds WAR MONGER (War Chant) and QUITE A BRIDE (Stormy Atlantic) to
capture their respective Sunshine Millions turf races. War Monger exploded to
victory as the 9-5 choice in the $500,000
Sunshine Millions Turf
at Gulfstream Park, while Quite a
Bride successfully invaded Santa Anita and upset 3-5 favorite Nashoba’s Key
(Silver Hawk) in the $500,000
Sunshine
Millions Filly & Mare Turf.

Piloted by Kent Desormeaux, War Monger was forced to steady on the first turn
as he settled into the eighth position in the 11-horse field. Up front, the
California-bred Lucky J. H. (Cee’s Tizzy) carved out steady splits of :24 2/5
and :48 2/5. By the time the pacesetter reached six furlongs in 1:11 1/5, War
Monger cruised into a closer stalking spot, but he again had to steady as he
awaited room. Desormeaux found a seam entering the stretch, and as soon as War
Monger angled out and caught a glimpse of daylight, he lengthened stride
visibly. The four-year-old bay rolled past Lucky J. H. en route to a 1
1/4-length score, reeling off 1 1/8 miles on Gulfstream’s firm turf in 1:46 1/5.
A homebred campaigned by Peter Vegso, War Monger paid $5.80, $3.80 and $3 while
spearheading $1 exotics worth $18.60 (exacta), $176.50 (trifecta) and $1,608.60
(1-7-8-3 superfecta).

“When he switches off, he’s got a nice punch,” Mott said. “He ran well today.
He didn’t have a good trip. It’s amazing, when those jocks have a lot of horse,
they are able to find room.”

Soldier’s Dancer (Lost Soldier) closed from near the tail of the field to
finish an eye-catching runner-up, returning $5.60 and $3.80 as the nearly 6-1
third choice. Lucky J. H. reported home another length back in third, and the
11-1 outsider gave back $6.60 for his fine performance. French Vintage (Mecke)
came from last to garner fourth at nearly 21-1. Next came Add Heat (Unusual
Heat), nearly 7-2 second choice Icy Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic),
Birdbirdistheword (Pure Prize), Pickapocket (Mecke), Presious Passion (Royal
Anthem), Epic Power (Epic Honor) and Summer Book (Notebook). Ruff and Ready
(More Than Ready) was scratched.

The lightly raced War Monger now sports a mark of 7-4-1-0 with $430,976 in
earnings. A Belmont maiden winner in his second career start last June, and a 4
1/4-length allowance romper at Saratoga in August, he wound up fourth in his
stakes debut in the Jamaica H. (G2). War Monger rebounded with a 1 1/2-length
tally in the Rutgers S. at Monmouth last time out during Breeders’ Cup week.

The winner is out of the multiple stakes-placed Carnival Delight (Half a
Year), who is herself a half-sister to French Group 1 hero and sire Salse
(Topsider). This is the family of multiple Grade 2 queen Fleet Lady (Avenue of
Flags), the dam of Grade 2 victress Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister). War Monger
has an unraced sophomore half-sister named Marvelous Mixture (Fusaichi Pegasus).

Quite a Bride was long gone by the time Nashoba’s Key tried to quicken (Benoit Photo) In the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, Haras Santa Maria de Araras’ homebred Quite a Bride was the beneficiary of a picture-perfect ride by Garrett Gomez. The Mott mare tracked in second early as Somethinaboutlaura (Dance Floor) waltzed through fractions of :25, :50 2/5 and 1:14 2/5. Quite a Bride took charge turning for home, getting the jump on the rallying Nashoba’s Key. Although the favorite gave game chase in the stretch, Quite a Bride stayed on strongly and never looked like being caught. The chestnut crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front while stopping the teletimer in 1:49 4/5 for 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita’s good turf. Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, Quite a Bride rewarded her loyal supporters with mutuels of $6.40, $3 and $2.40. “When we went into the far turn, I was expecting Nashoba’s Key to be coming after me,” Gomez admitted. “When I didn’t see her, I thought maybe she got held up in traffic or maybe the soft turf was bothering her.” Nashoba’s Key held second by 1 1/2 lengths to pay $2.20 and $2.10, ending the $6.40 exacta ($1). The nearly 23-1 Placid Lake (Greenwood Lake), who ran in third throughout, returned $4.20 to show and concluded the $45 trifecta ($1). Somethinaboutlaura and Snow Cone (Cryptoclearance) dead-heated for fourth. The $1 superfecta with the 9-1 Somethinaboutlaura (7-6-2-1) paid $79.90, while the same gimmick with the 14-1 Snow Cone in the anchor spot (7-6-2-3) totaled $90.80. It was another 6 3/4 lengths back to Bai and Bai (Falstaff) in sixth, followed by Lady Tropicana (Cloud Hopping) and Gentle Charmer (Bertrando).

Quite a Bride was recording her eighth career stakes tally, boosting her
bankroll to $878,881 from her 18-10-1-4 line. Her resume includes a course
record-setting victory in last year’s Mint Julep H. (G3) at Churchill Downs as
well as the 2006 Boiling Springs S. (G3) at Monmouth. The five-year-old has also
placed in five graded stakes, notably the First Lady S. (G2) at Keeneland two
back. She was coming off a 4 3/4-length romp in the South Beach S. at Gulfstream
Park.

Produced by the Blushing Groom (Fr) mare Wise Bride, Quite a Bride is a
half-sister to stakes victress and Grade 3-placed Goulash (Mari’s Book), who has
earned fame as the dam of two-time champion and $3.9 million earner Ashado
(Saint Ballado), Grade 1 hero Sunriver (Saint Ballado) and Grade 3 winner Saint
Stephen (Saint Ballado). Quite a Bride is also a half-sister to the unraced
sophomore colt Sang Froid (Montbrook) and an unnamed yearling filly by Indian
Ocean.

Assistant trainer Leana Willaford, who deputized for Mott at Santa Anita,
said that retirement may beckon for Quite a Bride.

“She’s meant to be retired,” Willaford said. “Her last race was supposed to
be her last one, and we talked her owners into running in this one, and she’s
now two-for-two, so now I don’t know what they’re going to do.”