Mott Unveils Pair of Sharp 3YO Debut Winners

Chief Wallabee, Thunderously Score for Hall of Famer
Tappan Street Breezes for Pegasus World Cup
Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $200,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott unveiled a pair of sharp 3-year-old debut winners Saturday at Gulfstream Park, visiting the winner’s circle with Chief Wallabee following Race 4 and Thunderously after Race 8.

“We liked them both. They’ve both trained well,” Mott said. “They got late starts. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to run them in September. We would have liked an August or September start, but we couldn’t do it.”

Michael and Katherine Ball’s Chief Wallabee ($7) hardly surprised his connections with his 1 ½-length triumph in a seven-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds.

“We’ve liked him. He worked good at Saratoga before we left. He’s worked good down here,” Mott said following the son of Constitution’s rallying victory.

Chief Wallabee broke alertly, settled behind a contested pace, and kicked in with powerful strides in the stretch to overhaul favored Puma before drawing well clear of his seven rivals with a strong gallop-out under Junior Alvarado.

“He broke very well. There were some high expectations of him,” Alvarado said. “I got to sit behind horses. We always go with our first plan with first timers [which] is to teach them, make sure they know what to do and how to finish. I was doing that, but when we turned for home and I asked him a little, he just exploded, he finished full of run with a great, beautiful gallop-out.”

The homebred colt is the first foal out of A La Lucie, an unraced daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who brought $1.1 million as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September sale.

“I’m most pleased how he behaved in the paddock and the way he was with the pre-race stuff. He was very professional afterwards. It’s didn’t look like there was any nonsense,” Mott said. “He’s a good-feeling horse in the morning, but he did everything right here in the afternoon.”

Chief Wallabee ran seven furlongs in 1:23.35. The Puma, who was favored slightly over Chief Wallabee at 2-1 while making his debut under Javier Castellano, finished second, 9 ¼ lengths clear of Al Arqraah in third.

“We’re behind. It’s not like he’s a horse that’s run in September,” Mott said. “I think we need to go one step at a time.”

Wathnan Racing’s Thunderously ($9.60) successfully negotiated two turns for the first time while making his debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight for 3-year-olds.

“He won easier than the other one,” Mott said. “Whether he was going to get there the first time you run him or not, at the end of the day, I thought this was a two-turn horse. He trained like a two-turn horse.”

Thunderously stalked the pace from the start before starting a somewhat extended run heading into the far turn. The son of Gun Runner made steady progress and loomed as the only danger to Fancy Gentleman, who had taken over the lead approaching the turn into the homestretch. After straightening out for the stretch run, Thunderously kicked in to blast by the leader and continue on to win by five lengths.

Alvarado was aboard Thunderously, as well as Chief Wallabee and two other winners on Saturday’s card..

“I was very high on them. I got to work them a few weeks ago and I was very excited about both of them. I was just hoping that Bill didn’t put them in the same race, because I didn’t want to lose either horse,” Alvarado said. “We went to the seven-furlong race with Chief Wallabee, and he ran a big race, very impressive. [Thunderously] was still a question mark for me. I like this guy a lot and I remember telling him that in the morning. A mile and a sixteenth on this track is very demanding for any kind of horse to go two turns, especially for the first time out. I couldn’t ask for anything better than what he did today. I think he was very impressive.”

Thunderously ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.87. Fancy Gentleman finished second 4 ¼ lengths clear of Ace Jack Deuce in third. The winner is the third foal to race and third winner out of Princess Warrior, a Grade 1-placed Grade 2 winner.

Meanwhile, Mott took Godolphin’s Knightsbridge to the track at Payson Park Training Center Saturday for his first workout since impressively capturing the Dec. 21 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream. The 5-year-old son of Nyquist is scheduled to return in the Fred W. Hooper (G3), a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up on Pegasus World Cup Day Jan. 24.

"He went well,” Mott said. “He’s ready for the next one.”

Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $200,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $200,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Saturday for the second racing day following Thursday’s $416,348.44 jackpot payoff.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-10 Sunday, featuring a five-furlong, first-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up on turf. Carlos David-trained Boat’s a Rockin, a battle-tested 9-year-old gelding who finished an even fifth in the Janus Stakes last time out, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight. Marty Drexler-trained Artemus Citylimits, also a hard-nosed 9-year-old gelding, returns to turf for his first Gulfstream start since shipping from Woodbine, where he won at Sunday’s level on Tapeta two back.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will be anchored by a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds on turf that drew a highly competitive field of 10. Brian Lynch-trained Thousandsticks, who graduated by 3 ½ lengths in his first Gulfstream start, is a lukewarm 3-1 morning-line favorite. Brendan Walsh-trained Gairloch, who is coming off a debut victory at a mile on turf at Churchill Downs, Chad Brown-trained Tactically, who graduated at 1 1/16 mile on turf at Aqueduct last time out, and the Mark Casse-trained duo of Blackmail and Truman’s Commander, should provide plenty of competition.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Who’s Hot: Junior Alvarado visited the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle on four occasions Saturday following victories by Chief Wallabee ($7) in Race 4, Westside Tide ($39.60) in Race 6, Thunderously ($9.60) in Race 8 and Le Amazonia ($7) in Race 9. Irad Ortiz Jr. went back-to-back with Jurisprudence in Race 2 and She’s a Gamer ($3.80) in Race 3. The Championship Meet’s leading rider came back to score aboard Surf’s Up ($3.80) in Race 7. Tyler Gaffalione had bookend wins aboard Magic Colors ($6.20) in Race 1 and Souper Zonda ($14.60) in Race 11.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott saddled Chief Wallabee and Thunderously for their impressive debut victories.

Carlos David kept himself heavily involved in the race for leading trainer of the Championship Meet by saddling a pair of winners, Jurisprudence ($3.60) in Race 2 and Surf’s Up ($3.80) in Race 7. Hall of Famer Mark Casse also won a pair of races with She’s a Gamer in Race 3 and Souper Zonda in Race 11.

Trainer David Fawkes saddled a pair of winners, visiting the winner’s circle with Magic Colors ($6.20) following Race 1 and Try to Make Cents ($2.80) after Race 5.

NOTE: WinStar Farm LCC, CHC. Inc., Cold Press Racing and Qatar Racing’s Tappan Street breezed five furlongs in 1:02.40 (2/7) at Payson Park Training Center Saturday morning in preparation for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park. It was the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief’s second workout following a Dec. 19 optional claiming allowance win at Gulfstream in his first start since capturing the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29.