Mo Tom, Harlan Punch could give Amoss double shot at Louisiana Derby

Tom Amoss has taken down more than his share of Fair Grounds training titles, but the biggest prize at Amoss’s home track, the $1 million Louisiana Derby, so far has eluded him. While early-season 3-year-olds aren’t the major focus of Amoss’s operation, he has two 2-year-olds about to turn 3 who might have a chance to give Amoss another shot in the Louisiana Derby in about four months.

Mo Tom was headed from Kentucky to Louisiana on Monday after finishing a very encouraging third Saturday in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. Amoss’s other leading 2-year-old is Harlan Punch, most recently third in the Delta Jackpot.

Mo Tom is owned by G M B Racing – the initials of Gayle Marie Benson, wife of billionaire Tom Benson, who owns, among plenty of other stuff, the New Orleans Saints of the NFL and New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA. The Bensons went to Keeneland’s September yearling sale for the first time in 2014 and spent nearly $1 million on six yearlings, including a colt by Uncle Mo out of Caroni (by Rubiano) who would be named Mo Tom.

Mo Tom has made all four of his starts in Kentucky, at Ellis, Keeneland, and Churchill, and has improved steadily through the season as the distances lengthened from sprints to middle distances. The Kentucky Jockey Club was his first two-turn race, and he rallied from 12th to miss second by a head while beaten less than two lengths by the victorious Airoforce.

“We’re excited,” said Amoss. “He came out of the race in good shape and we think he’s a nice prospect. He ran a really good race. The lights were on, it had rained again, and the shine on the track really spooked him. He didn’t know where he was putting his feet, veered in at one point, and just got an education.”

Amoss said a decision about Mo Tom’s next start would come in about a week. The Lecomte on Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds is in play for Mo Tom, but Amoss also will consider a start at Oaklawn Park for both Mo Tom and Harlan Punch.

Harlan Punch, a Rosemont Farm homebred by Harlan’s Holiday, won his debut at Ellis before finishing second in the Jean Lafitte and third in the Jackpot, both over the small oval at Delta Downs.

“He’s a big horse and not built for that racetrack, and we knew that going in,” said Amoss. “He can’t really handle those turns there, being a big, kind of lumbering horse. We’re going to try one of those early-on Derby preps with him, but I don’t know where it’s going to be yet.”

Amoss also said there are no set plans for Control Stake, who wired the Thanksgiving Handicap last week two starts after running for a $50,000 claiming tag at Keeneland.