BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 3, 2023

Bill Mott

Santa Anita Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We get to catch up with trainer, Bill Mott. Previous win with Just F Y I in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Congratulations, Bill.

BILL MOTT: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: We had Junior and Mr. Krikorian up here talking about her race. What a beautiful filly. Just kind of take us through the development of her and the trip she got, which looked to be picture-perfect.

BILL MOTT: Well, you know, everything went fine since we've had her. We got her early in the season, and she started out at Belmont Park for a little while and then came on up to Saratoga.

We completed her training up there, and we got lucky enough to get her to the races in Saratoga. She won her first race going 6 furlongs, which was probably something that was maybe out of her wheelhouse.

I mean, she probably wanted to go further all along, but it was a good start. Then, you know, we jumped right into a Grade 1 the second time. So it's pretty unusual for a horse to win a Grade 1 off of just one maiden race.

THE MODERATOR: For you, you're always known for kind of really taking time and patience, especially with these young horses. So she must have really shown something to you to take this next big step.

BILL MOTT: Well, she did it on her own. She showed us. We didn't force her. We let her come along, and she was the one that kind of brought us along, I suppose.

She just showed that she was ready to run. We felt like, as well as she had run, she deserved a shot in the Frizette, and it paid off.

THE MODERATOR: Talked to Junior earlier, and just kind of explain the relationship with you and Junior and these horses and what an incredible ride he's been putting on these horses for you.

BILL MOTT: Well, he's done a good job for us. He's been pretty much our stable rider. I would say he probably rides 50% of the horses, and then the other 50% are divided up amongst some of the other riders.

There's a lot of good riders around. Depending on who the owners want, some owners would prefer to have another rider at different times, but Junior has always been there for us.

He's helped us with the young horses, and he's helped us with the young horses this year. So the fact that he was there and working, and he got on a good one.

THE MODERATOR: You all keep up with several other Breeders' Cup runners as well, but just speaking of this filly, what's next for her after the race today?

BILL MOTT: I would say a little R&R. I guess I've just been trying to figure out how to go about it, what we want to do, what kind of a program to put her on.

She deserves some time off, a little time to grow and fill out. Sometimes a short rest is not that good because it's harder to get them back, so you have to figure out what you want to do so you can get them back. You want to give them the rest, but get them back in time for some of the big races in the spring.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Bill Mott, Just F Y I, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Thank you for taking the time to come back up and talk to us about this incredible filly.

BILL MOTT: Thank you.