Trainers

William Mott

California

Bill Mott was born in South Dakota and hails from a horse racing family. His father was a veterinarian and Mott grew up around the race track – owning and training his first horse at age 15.

It didn’t take him to become something special as Mott became the youngest ever Inducted into Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1998 at age 45.

He won back-to-back Eclipse Awards as the top trainer in 1995 and 1996 and will always be best remembered for his training of Cigar, winner of a record-tying 16th straight races during 1995 and ’96. The streak included victories in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the inaugural Dubai World Cup. Said Mott of Cigar, “He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained. He may be the best horse anyone has ever trained.”

Other Eclipse winners he has trained include Ajina, 1997 champion 3-year-old filly; Escena, 1998 champion older filly or mare; Paradise Creek, 1994 champion male turf horse; and Theatrical, 1987 champion male turf horse.

Mott currently has barns on both the west and east coasts. In 2009 he accumulated 116 wins and earnings of almost eight million dollars.