By Ben Massam
Trainer Tom Amoss will send out a pair of late-running closers in Fair Grounds' stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday, but that is essentially where the similarities end. GMB Racing's Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), recent winner of the Jan. 16 GIII LeComte S. [video], goes postward as the 3-1 second choice in the GII Veterans Ford Risen Star S., while Rosemont Farm's Venus Valentine (Congrats) is the longest shot on the board at morning-line odds of 20-1 for the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Both races are important stepping stones towards prospective starts in the GII Louisiana Derby and GII Fair Grounds Oaks, and Amoss is taking a pragmatic approach with his expectations for the two sophomores.
Mo Tom, who also captured the one-mile Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 1, appears well-positioned to add his name to the list of previous LeComte-Risen Star winners that includes Friesan Fire (A.P. Indy) and International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus)–both of whom went on to capture the Louisiana Derby. Amoss said he believes Mo Tom, a May foal, has been gradually closing the maturity gap on his peers and consequently has ample room to improve Saturday.
“I think what people may not notice at first blush is that Mo Tom is a May foal,” Amoss explained. “He's taken awhile to catch up physically with the rest of my younger horses. In the last three weeks, we've really started to see that happen–and that's exciting. He's a good horse, that's for sure, and I think he's an improving horse, so we'll see what happens.”
In order to find the winner's circle, the dark bay will need to turn the tables on morning-line favorite Airoforce (Colonel John) [video], who bested him by 1 3/4 lengths when Mo Tom was third in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 28. Amoss said he is hopeful that 2 1/2 additional months of development time will lead to a favorable outcome.
“I think he's made the transition from two to three very well,” Amoss said. “I think he's a more experienced horse now, and I think that's hopefully something that will be a difference maker in the race.”
As for race tactics, the conditioner said he expects Mo Tom to assume his usual early position towards the rear of the 13-horse field. The colt lagged over 10 lengths off the pace in the initial stages of the LeComte–a style that, according to Amoss, should give his colt a major chance in the Risen Star.
Amoss finds himself in a decidedly different outsider's position with Venus Valentine, winless in three appearances since capturing her six-furlong debut at Ellis Park in July. The chestnut recently rallied into a dawdling pace to finish fourth in a one-mile allowance test over the Fair Grounds turf Jan. 8.
Venus Valentine has breezed four times since that effort, and seeks to reverse her fortunes vis-à-vis Midnight On Oconee (Midnight Lute), who easily dispatched her in a six-furlong test on a sloppy main track Nov. 21. Amoss, who has trained horses since 1987, is realistic with his outlook for the chestnut this weekend.
“She's going to have to really step up,” Amoss acknowledged. “We are asking a lot of her to face these type of horses. She hasn't proven that she's competitive with these types, either, but on the other hand she's training very well and her works certainly show that. There's a lot of speed in the race, so it's a good setup for her with her style of running.”
Amoss's busy Saturday in New Orleans also includes a third graded stakes starter in Wireless Future (Scat Daddy), who draws the rail in the GIII Fair Grounds H. The 4-year-old won two races over the local turf last winter and recently kicked off his 2016 season with a wire-to-wire win in an off-the-turf event Jan. 15.
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