Amoss quickly mends fences with Lanerie

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Even the greatest of training careers has its low moments.

Six months ago, Tom Amoss was fresh from a 45-day suspension that he had fought with every ounce of energy (and dollar) he could muster. He wound up traveling to Europe, Mexico, and Florida, and he attended a lot of football games in his native Louisiana, but it was a vacation he did not accept willingly.

“The most frustrating thing is I was penalized for a therapeutic medication that’s not illegal in any state, including Indiana,” said Amoss, referring to the highly controversial Indiana case involving a methocarbamol positive that dated to 2011.

That finished, Amoss was back training in early November at Churchill Downs, and after wintering in New Orleans, he has returned with a Kentucky Derby contender in Mo Tom, a late-running colt whose troubled trips in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds have been famously noted.

In fact, the traffic Mo Tom managed to find in the Louisiana Derby infuriated Amoss to such a degree that he gave jockey Corey Lanerie a severe tongue-lashing upon returning to be unsaddled. The unsavory incident was witnessed by numerous fans and fellow horsemen.

“The Indiana thing was something out of my control, but this wasn’t,” he said. “It was out of character, and I called Corey in the jocks’ room to apologize 20 minutes after it all blew up. Look, I did it, and I own it. Now it’s totally behind us. Corey and I have been friends for 20 years, and we’re looking forward to a great showing in the Kentucky Derby.”

Lanerie waved off the Louisiana Derby aftermath, saying, “I would’ve been mad at me, too,” and said he is grateful that Mo Tom’s connections have decided to keep him on the colt for the Kentucky Derby. Mo Tom is owned by the GMB Racing of Gayle and Tom Benson.

Amoss, meanwhile, is a presence again at Indiana Grand, where he boycotted last year in protest of the suspension. He has been the leading trainer at both Indiana and Churchill, and his 60-horse stable is back to being evenly split between them.

Amoss, 54, has racked up more than 3,200 winners and nearly $87 million in stable earnings in a career dating to 1987. Mo Tom will be his fifth Derby starter, following Lone Star Sky (15th in 2003), Backtalk (20th in 2010), Mylute (fifth in 2013), and War Story (16th in 2015).

Lanerie has full card of mounts

After being the leading jockey at 10 of the last 11 Churchill meets, Lanerie has to be considered the favorite again as the 2016 spring meet gets under way Saturday night. The 41-year-old native of Lafayette, La., will be in perpetual motion on the opener when named to ride all 11 races.

Other jockeys who are logical candidates for top-five spots at this meet are Julien Leparoux, Ricardo Santana Jr., Florent Geroux, Shaun Bridgmohan, Robby Albarado, and Brian Hernandez Jr.

First night opener set records that still stand

Saturday marks exactly five years since Churchill switched from a traditional daytime spring-meet opener to racing under the lights. The crowd of 38,142 that turned out for the first nighttime spring-meet opener on April 30, 2011, remains a record for the 36 nighttime racing cards ever run here.

The 2011 opener also set the Downs After Dark record for all-sources handle ($8.86 million) and was the only time ontrack handle exceeded $2 million for a night card.

For the 2015 spring opener, attendance was 16,592, and all-sources handle was $4.63 million.

Two more Downs After Dark cards will be run at this meet, on June 18 (Stephen Foster Handicap) and July 2 (closing night).

Kentucky Juvenile should be strong

A stakes race for 2-year-olds hasn’t been run during Derby week at Churchill since Lou Brissie won the $100,000 Kentucky Juvenile in 2010 for Dogwood Stable and trainer Neil Howard. The five-furlong race is being revived Thursday after that six-year absence, and it’s coming up a good one.

Not only has Wesley Ward said he intends to run two of his fillies who won recent maiden races at Keeneland, but Mark Casse said he “might run one or two” first-time starters he’s been sitting on. A sizable field is expected when entries are taken Saturday.

The Kentucky Juvenile anchors a “Thurby” card that is growing in popularity with local fans and is expected to draw a crowd of at least 30,000.

Cinco Charlie awaits Maryland Sprint at Pimlico

Cinco Charlie, the winner of the William Walker Stakes last year, is nominated to the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard, but trainer Steve Asmussen said the 4-year-old colt probably will wait another two weeks to run in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on the May 21 Preakness card.

Cinco Charlie, a winner of seven stakes from 15 overall starts, finished third in his last start, the April 10 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn.