Salutos Amigos on fence for Tom Fool

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Salutos Amigos, among the top sprinters on the East Coast if not the country, is “50-50” to make next Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap here, according to trainer and part-owner David Jacobson.

Salutos Amigos, who won the Grade 3 Toboggan on Feb. 7, has missed training time due to a recurring foot issue.

“He had a foot problem, he missed some training, but he’s back, and he’s 100 percent,” Jacobson said Friday. “I just don’t know if I can get him fit enough. It’s going to be close, especially with this unusual weather we’re having. I can’t afford to miss any days of training, which I don’t think we will.”

Jacobson was hopeful of breezing Salutos Amigos on Sunday.

Jacobson has Big Business nominated to the Tom Fool but said that horse will be getting 60 to 90 days off.

“You probably won’t see him until Belmont,” Jacobson said.

There were only 11 nominations to the Tom Fool. Among those expected to run are Dads Caps and Maleeh. On Friday, Maleeh worked four furlongs in 49.71 seconds over the Belmont training track. He worked in company with the 4-year-old maiden Tashreeh.

Maleeh works in a small-cup set of blinkers, commonly referred to as “cheaters,” but he races without blinkers.

“He’s a bit quirky in the morning, but not the afternoon,” said Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.