Isolate wins Tale of the Cat Stakes; gives Amoss 4,000th win
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Isolate used his blazing speed to dominate the $135,000 Tale of the Cat from start to finish on Wednesday at Saratoga.
Isolate cruised to a six-length victory over Repo Rocks while also giving Tom Amoss the 4,000th winner of his 25-year training career.
Isolate was hustled clear from his inside post by jockey Tyler Gaffalione before being taken in hand in the seven-furlong race. He set a swift pace of 22.73 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.73 to the half while stalked from the outset by Mr Phil. Isolate disposed of Mr Phil when sharply roused by Gaffalione into the stretch, readily increasing his advantage while kept under a steady drive to the end.
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Repo Rocks, within easy striking distance of the leader, came wide into the stretch, and continued willingly to easily be second. Southern District, the even-money favorite in the five-horse field, raced wide throughout and was not a serious factor. Awesome Gerry suffered a catastrophic injury in the run down the backstretch and had to be euthanized on the track.
The victory was the third of the day for Gaffalione and fourth in the last five starts for Isolate, a 4-year-old son of Mark Valeski owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. Isolate completed seven furlongs in 1:23.04 over a fast track and paid $14.80.
In the winner’s circle, Amoss chose to talk about his horse first rather than the milestone he had just achieved.
“Going into the race, it was all about the seventh-eighths and whether it was a distance he could handle, not his overall talent,” Amoss explained. “When he was able to clear the field I felt very comfortable, and I knew at the eighth pole we were going to win. And that was a really good feeling. More than everything else, it’s Saratoga and winning a big race here that’s so special. It wasn’t lost on me the audience clapping for him when he came back to the winner’s circle.”
Perhaps some of that applause was also for Amoss on achieving his 4,000th win. Amoss, 60, reminisced about how his career began.
“I thought about my mom and dad,” Amoss said. “They knew nothing about racing. I’m one of six boys, and when I decided I wanted to be a horse trainer after I graduated high school they said one thing: ‘You’ve got to get a college degree. After that we will be behind you no matter what you want to do.’
So I did. I got my degree in 1983 from LSU, I went straight to the racetrack, grabbed a shank and started walking horses. Any trainer will tell you you’ve got to have good family behind you because they have to make a lot of sacrifices.”
Amoss also thanked all the owners who made getting to 4,000 wins possible.
“Of course I have to thank my owners and all the great horses they’ve given me,” he said. “You can’t do it without them, and I just feel very blessed. The job and the industry have been very good to me.”
Amoss singled out several horsemen who guided him on the right path to the extremely successful career he’s had since first taking out his trainers license in 1988.
“Originally it was Jack Van Berg and Frank Brothers,” said Amoss. “Then I worked for a regional trainer named Larry Robideaux. I was Larry’s assistant trainer and I spent a year as a vet assistant, got to see all kinds of problems and lameness, so I felt comfortable about my knowledge and how to work with a horse. I was up here a year as John Parisella’s assistant in 1987 and then I started out on my own in 1988.”
Amoss said winning the Kentucky Oaks with Serengeti Empress is his most memorable moment to date.