Bill Mott

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William I. "Bill" Mott (born July 29, 1953 in Mobridge, South Dakota) is an American horse trainer, most notable for his work with Cigar. Mott earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1995 and 1996. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1998.

[edit] Cigar

Cigar was owned by Allen E. Paulson and did not race as a two-year old, and under trainer Alex Hassinger he made an unsuccessful debut in early 1993 in a six furlong (1,207 meter) race on a dirt track in California. After gaining his first win a few months later, his trainer switched him to racing on grass but the horse proved mediocre at best. The following year, his owner had Cigar shipped to an east-coast trainer, Bill Mott, who gave him the first half of the year off, only bringing him back to racing in July. After more disappointing results it was decided to give Cigar one more try racing on dirt, and on his first time back, at Aqueduct Racetrack, he made an astonishing about-face, winning easily against quality competition.

For the following year's racing season, Cigar proved to be the best horse in North America, winning all ten major races he entered under jockey Jerry Bailey, including the Pimlico Special. Cigar capped off the year with an October victory in the $3 million U.S. Breeders' Cup Classic while setting a stakes record of 1:59.58 for the 1 1/4 mile (2012 meter) distance. That year, Cigar was voted 1995 Champion Older Male and the most prestigious honor of all, the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.

In 1996, the team of Cigar, Paulson, Mott, and Bailey won the Big Sport of Turfdom Award.

Cigar continued his winning ways that year, including traveling more than 6,000 miles (10,000 km) to earn a victory in the inaugural Dubai World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with a purse of $5 million. During the season, Cigar matched the accomplishment of the great Triple Crown champion Citation, a record that had stood for almost 50 years, by winning his 16th race in a row in the Arlington Citation Challenge. Cigar failed in his bid to break the record when he lost to Dare and Go in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

The 1996 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park was Cigar's last victory as a racehorse.

[edit] Other notable victories

• Arlington Million, 1¼ miles (approximately 2,000 metres)
  • 1994, with Paradise Creek and jockey Pat Day and owner Masayuki Nishiyama, in 1:59.78

• Blue Grass Stakes, one and one-eighth miles
  • 1984, Taylor's Special and Pat Day

• Breeders' Cup Distaff, 1 1/8 miles
  • 1998, with Escena, ridden by Gary Stevens, in 1:49.89
  • 1997, with Ajina, ridden by Mike E. Smith, in 1:47.20

• Breeders' Cup Turf, 1½ miles
  • 1992, with Fraise and Pat Valenzuela, in 2:24.08
  • 1987, with Theatrical and Pat Day in 2:24.4