Mo Tom retired, will stand at Red River Farms

NEW ORLEANS – Mo Tom, a major player on the 2016 Kentucky Derby trail, has been retired from racing and will go to stud at Red River Farms in Coushatta, La.

Mo Tom won the Lecomte Stakes in January 2016 at Fair Grounds, then suffered through high-profile terrible trips in the Risen Star Stakes and the Louisiana Derby, finishing third and fourth, respectively. He had another relatively luckless trip finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby, and won the $500,000 Ohio Derby in his next start.

Mo Tom, 5, is retired with a record of 4-2-4 from 19 starts and earnings of $665,356.

“Mo Tom was as talented a horse as I’ve had in my barn,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “If he passes on those traits to his offspring, he’ll be a hugely successful sire here in Louisiana.”

Mo Tom was purchased at Keeneland’s September yearling auction for $150,000 by Gayle Benson’s GMB Racing. He’s a son of Uncle Mo and the Rubiano mare Caroni.

“We tried to do a few things with him late in his racing career, like bringing him back quickly in the Clark Handicap and then trying him on the grass,” said Greg Bensel, who manages GMB Racing. “We just did not want to give up on him because he’s such a great-looking and sound horse, and he was working so well in the mornings. None of those late experiments should take away from the career he had.”