William I. Mott

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, 1996, 2011, 2023. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1998 at the age of 45, becoming the youngest thoroughbred trainer ever inducted. He worked his way up the ranks by becoming first an exercise rider, then an assistant trainer for Hall of Fame Trainer Jack Van Berg. He's also won 10 titles at Belmont Park and 9 at Gulfstream Park.

Mott ranks fourth in Breeders' Cup money earned behind D. Wayne Lukas, Robert Frankel and Shug McGaughey.

Cigar Cigar was owned by Allen E. Paulson and did not race as a two-year-old. Under trainer Alex Hassinger, he made an unsuccessful debut in early 1993 in a six-furlong (1,207 m) race on a dirt track in California. After he broke his maiden a few months later, his trainer switched him to racing on grass, but the horse proved mediocre at best. The following year, his owner shipped Cigar to East Coast trainer Bill Mott, who gave him the first half of the year off, bringing him back to racing in July. After more disappointing results on turf, it was decided to give Cigar one more try racing on dirt. In his first attempt, at Aqueduct Racetrack, he won easily.

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 distance. That year, Cigar was voted 1995 Champion Older Male and received 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 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 decades-old accomplishment of Triple Crown champion Citation 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 Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack.

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