The Bill Mott barn was poised for a big Saturday at Oaklawn Park but Stars and Stripes (Not This Time) made sure it was equally exciting for the Keeneland division with a powerful performance in the GIII Ben Ali Stakes.A horse with buzz about him after he dazzled in his June graduation at the Belmont Big A meet last year–a 10 1/2-length masterclass–in start number two, he followed that up with an equally sterling effort in mid-July at Saratoga. Blitzing a field of first-level allowance runners by 7 1/4 lengths, his final start on the year ended up being the Dwyer Stakes Nov. 8, where he would run fourth. Gone until Jan. 16 when he resurfaced against optional claimers at Gulfstream, Stars and Stripes ran second that afternoon, but finished ahead of stablemate Batten Down (Tapit), and was last seen posting a career-best 96 Beyer Mar. 8 at Oaklawn when he returned to winning ways with a game performance.Making his graded debut here, and facing Batten Down once again, Stars and Stripes was in no rush after the jump as the grey stepped out to lead the procession. Tracking the action from along the rail route, he was in striking range after an opening quarter in :23.93 and a half-mile in :48.78, but there was work to do with a line of horses in front of him. Pushed for more coming off the final bend behind six panels 1:13.09, the 8-5 favorite fanned to the outside of British Isles (Justify) as that one tried to reel in the longtime leader, but was making no headway. Slowly grinding away at the margin via the overland path, Stars and Stripes locked horns with Batten Down in midstretch but had the advantage, ultimately inching away late to win by a half-length. San Siro (Classic Empire) flew late from last to claim third.“Last time when I had the opportunity to ride this horse [winning the allowance at Oaklawn Park Mar. 8], he showed that he had a lot of talent,” said Luis Saez. “[Trainer] Mr. Bill [Mott] always does a great job with the horses. Today (Stars and Stripes) took a big step (forward). I felt very confident. I knew I had a lot of horse, and he's a fighter. He came to the top of the stretch and he did everything I asked.”“[Stablemate Batten Down] was a tough horse to beat, but I was pretty confident when I got close to him, because I knew we were going to get up there.”“I had a good trip,” said Flavien Prat, who rode the defeated stablemate. “[I got] the trip that I wanted. He gave me a good run turning for home. It looked like when [winner Stars and Stripes] came at me, [Batten Down] was going to be able to hold him off. Just second best today.” #1 STARS AND STRIPES ($5.30) beat his stablemate Batten Down to the wire in the $350,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at @KeenelandRacing. @luissaezpty was aboard the four-year-old Not This Time (@TMStallions) colt for trainer Bill Mott. pic.twitter.com/Cb25aZ6X86— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 18, 2026Pedigree Notes:Stars and Stripes is the second to earn black-type for his dam behind elder half-sister Waves of Mischief (Into Mischief), a winner of the GIII Pucker Up Stakes during her career, and who was exported to Japan last year after selling for $700,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale to Japan's JS Company. Pearl River produced one more offspring after Stars and Stripes, an unraced 3-year-old named Ten Star Fleet (Nyquist).Saturday, KeenelandBEN ALI S.-GIII, $350,000, Keeneland, 4-18, 4yo/up, 1 3/16m, 1:58.34, ft.1–STARS AND STRIPES, 118, c, 4, by Not This Time 1st Dam: Pearl River, by Quality Road 2nd Dam: Ain't She Sweet, by Storm Cat 3rd Dam: Sweet Life, by Kris S.1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($100,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Frassetto Stables LLC; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Luis Saez. $208,863. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-1, $429,533. *1/2 to Waves of Mischief (Into Mischief), GSW, $644,130. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Batten Down, 118, r, 5, Tapit–Close Hatches, by First Defence. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-William I. Mott. $67,375.3–San Siro, 118, g, 5, Classic Empire–Catenaria, by Bernardini. ($80,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm, Ocean Reef Racing, White Mountain Stables and Stonecrest Farm; B-Frankfort Park Farm, Bemart, Equinow, Valle Falcone & K. Byrne (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $33,688.Margins: HF, 1, 1. Odds: 1.65, 3.00, 9.80.Also Ran: Awesome Aaron, Rattle N Roll, British Isles, Tennessee Lamb, Guns and Glory. Scratched: Honor Marie.Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Salute the Effort: Stars and Stripes Stands Tall in Ben Ali appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.