NEWS
Mott to train Juddmonte horses
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009 2:22 PM
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will train the majority of Juddmonte Farms' runners in the U.S. in 2010.
Bobby Frankel trained Juddmonte’s horses until his death in November. The California-based Juddmonte runners remained in the care of Frankel's former assistant, Humberto Ascanio.
Juddmonte manager Garrett O'Rourke told Daily Racing Form on Friday that Mott will train the majority of the stable's runners in the U.S. in 2010, and that Ascanio will train Grade 1 winner Midships.
"Bill Mott will be our number-one trainer," O'Rourke told Daily Racing Form, adding that Juddmonte is "down to a pretty small string already" in the U.S.
O'Rourke said Mott will decide where the horses will be based.
"It's up to Bill," O'Rourke told Daily Racing Form. "Bobby didn't operate under any rules. Billy won't be asked to, either. If the horses are better suited to different tracks or different surfaces, he's the boss."
Mott said on Friday that he will determine which horses will be sent to California after Christmas. The stable will be based at Santa Anita.
"We've just got a couple of horses for the stakes and we're trying to get it together," Mott told Daily Racing Form. "I'll pick up a few of the Juddmonte horses after Christmas."
