Cajuns Amoss, Talamo Team in N’Awlins
by Alan Carasso
When Kent Desormeaux, who ride Christopher Dunn and Loooch Racing Stable’s War Story (Northern Afleet) to a runner-up effort in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 21, declined to sign on for a two-race commitment to pilot the colt going forward, trainer Tom Amoss had a decision to make. When the dust had settled, the connections landed on Joe Talamo, whose meteoric rise began down on the Bayou. The fellow Cajun will return to his roots this weekend as he tries to turn the tables on International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus) in the GII Louisiana Derby.
“Youth, strength on a horse and his ties to New Orleans,” the always well-spoken Amoss told Tuesday’s media teleconference explaining the decision to reach out to the California-based jockey.
For Amoss, a victory this weekend would be priceless.
“War Story comes in as what I believe is my best chance going into the race and that means something to someone who’s attended this race since he was 10 or 11 years old. I’ve always dreamt of winning the Louisiana Derby, so here it is.”
A private purchase by the somewhat controversial Ron Paolucci following a debut victory for trainer Ron Moquett and Harry Rosenblum, owner of GIII Southwest S. winner Far Right (Notional), at Churchill Nov. 1, Amoss told the media that War Story trained like an ‘ordinary’ horse at first, “trainer speak for ‘I’m a little bit nervous,’” Amoss admitted.
Having hesitated at the start of the unveiling, War Story was bumped on either side going a mile at the Fair Grounds Dec. 28, but overcame that incident to win his maiden by 2 3/4 lengths. He was a slow-starting runner-up to International Star when first they met in the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 17, and Amoss elected to ship War Story up to Oaklawn for the GIII Southwest S. But after drawing onto the apron and with the threat of nasty weather, he was returned to New Orleans.
“That meant a couple of things,” Amoss reported. “First, it meant he missed a work and it took a couple of days for him to get back into his feed tub. So things didn’t go exactly right heading into the Risen Star.”
The gelding was away tardily that Saturday afternoon and Amoss is taking measures to remedy the problem this time around.
“We’re going to put pads in the gate to confine the space,” he explained. “He tends to rock back and forth and this will force him to be more stable. He practiced this over the weekend and left the gate well, but it’s safe to say horses know the difference between practice and the real thing.”
Amoss is also hopeful that his pupil will have a bit more luck in running than he had last time.
“He had to go around everyone while International Star got through at the rail,” Amoss recollected. “War Story had a tough trip and went around everyone. I think for trip handicappers, a case can be made that War Story ran the best race that day.”