Gun Runner, Mo Tom headed straight to Kentucky Derby

NEW ORLEANS – The two horses who shared the headlines in the Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds, the victorious Gun Runner and troubled fourth-place finisher Mo Tom, both came out of the race well, their trainers reported Sunday morning, and both will not race again until the Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

Gun Runner got a Beyer Speed Figure of 91 in the Louisiana Derby, which followed his victory in last month’s Risen Star here and gave him his fourth victory in five outings. His trainer, Steve Asmussen, described Gun Runner as “100 percent” on Sunday morning.

Asmussen said Gun Runner was to head to Churchill Downs on Monday and would train there straight through to the Kentucky Derby.

It was absolutely pouring here Sunday morning after two days of nice weather Friday and Saturday.

“I’m awfully happy they ran the derby yesterday and not today,” Asmussen said Sunday.

Asmussen always has enjoyed training and racing at Fair Grounds. He reiterated that after the race on Saturday, saying he has “a tremendous amount of confidence in the surface here,” and that it allowed him to train Gun Runner exactly as he intended all meet.

“We haven’t missed anything we wanted to do with him,” said Asmussen, who said Gun Runner “trained very sharply since his Risen Star win.”

Tom’s Ready was second and Dazzling Gem third in the Louisiana Derby, but it was Mo Tom who likely was second best, his finishing position compromised by running into severe traffic for the second straight time, mirroring his trip in the Risen Star, in which he was third.

His trainer, Tom Amoss, on Sunday morning said Mo Tom “looks good, thank God.”

“He seems a little tired, typical as after a race, but he’s healthy and sound and that’s a real blessing,” said Amoss, who said Mo Tom would van to Churchill Downs on Tuesday afternoon, arrive on Wednesday morning, and train straight into the Derby. He has accumulated 32 points, which in prior years has been more than enough to make the 20-horse field.

Amoss said he and Greg Bensel, who manages the racing interests of the Benson family - which owns Mo Tom and Tom’s Ready, who is trained by Dallas Stewart - discussed two things early Sunday: whether to run again before the Derby, and what to do regarding a jockey for Mo Tom.

“We have no interest in running in another race,” Amoss said. “We’re going to stand pat.”

Mo Tom’s second straight troubled trip left Amoss livid with jockey Corey Lanerie after the Louisiana Derby, but he said “cooler heads” were pondering the situation on Sunday.

“We discussed a rider change, but we’re not going to think like that now,” Amoss said. “Look, Corey is a very good rider. We have cooler heads today. If there’s a decision to be made, we’re not making it now.”

Amoss said that for the Derby Watch top 20 chart which Daily Racing Form publishes on Friday, it would be more accurate to leave Lanerie on Mo Tom as opposed to changing the jockey status on Mo Tom to “undecided.”

As disappointed as Amoss was with the outcome, he said he “put it in perspective.”

“There are some real problems in life that fortunately I don’t have,” Amoss said.

Tom’s Ready also came out of the race in good order, and was scheduled to ship to Kentucky on Monday, Stewart said.