Rodriguez, Felks bringing success to Tomillo training tree

Tom Tomillo, a colorful Chicago claiming trainer who died in 2010, ran a winter New Orleans string between 1990 and 2008. His horses would roar out of New Orleans every spring and run their best races during March and April at Sportsman’s Park or Hawthorne Racecourse in Chicago. But at Fair Grounds, Tomillo approached auto-toss status, his career record 60 for 1,397, a 4 percent strike rate.

Yet two former Tomillo assistants have made hay this Fair Grounds meet. Eduardo “Lalo” Rodriguez had many Tomillo-esque seasons after opening a stable in 2014 but this winter has gone 17 for 90, eighth-most among Fair Grounds trainers.

Stabled adjacently to Rodriguez is Joseph “Bobby” Felks, another Tomillo protégé. Felks went out on his own in 2021 after his boss, trainer Eddie Johnston, passed away.

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Felks started with four horses. His operation has not burgeoned. He now trains eight, seven for the Louisiana owner and breeder Keith Plaisance, yet Felks at this meet has gone 12-7-2-1.

“I thought I was going to have a good meet, but this is too much,” Felks said.

Felks’s winners are Louisiana-breds. Six of the seven wins came in straight maiden or allowance competition. The 4-year-old Nine Part notched a debut win last summer and is 4 for 4 after three Fair Grounds scores. Felks will try him on turf March 22 in the Costa Rising Stakes.

Since setting up his stable, Felks has gone 32 for 104, yet despite his 30.7 percent strike rate, no one other than Plaisance, a Johnston client who has all his horses with Felks, has sent horses.

“I would’ve thought I might have more, but I don’t know. I haven’t had many opportunities,” Felks said.

Stable size aside, few would’ve expected the Tomillo training tree to be having a Fair Grounds moment.

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