Trainer Notes: Tom Amoss Chats Mo Tom

Trainer Notes: Tom Amoss on Derby Contender Mo Tom and Oaks Contender Venus Valentine

Q: Describe Kentucky Derby contender Mo Tom.
A: He’s a laid back horse that gets stronger as he goes and I think he shows that in both his gallops and works. His personality is very laid back, and that’s the way he runs.Physically he’s very tall, but maturing in terms of weight, those are things that are just starting to happen right now.

Q: What is your perspective on the Louisiana Derby?
A: So, I was really excited about my horse going to the Louisiana Derby; that’s a race I’ve never won. I’m from there, my family lives there, and it’s a race that was put on my list of races I want to win the most. And I really thought that this was my chance. Mo Tom trained beautifully up to the race and the race set up as we had hoped it would, but we just had traffic issues.

Q: What was said after the race?
A: I had an outburst after the race and its not typical of me. Within 20 minutes I called the jocks room and apologized to Corey. That was on Saturday. By Monday morning when I was driving from New Orleans to Louisville to begin our Kentucky Operation, I had CoreyLanerie on the phone and we were making plans to make sure he was on Mo Tom for the Kentucky Derby.

Q: Why keep Corey on him after that ride?
A: Corey is a very good rider. He’s been the leading rider at Churchill Downs as well as Keeneland… these are not easy accomplishments. No one in our group is doubting Corey’s ability. Matter of fact, we feel very lucky to have him on our horse. What’s in the past, is in the past, and we’re moving forward.

Q: It was a controversial decision. Do you have anything to add?
A: You know, one thing I will say to the nay sayers is this is not an easy horse. He has really really quick acceleration when you call on him, more than I’ve seen in any horse I’ve had. His run is longer than I’ve seen from any horse I’ve had in all my life. I’ve run over 13,000 horses and had more than 3,000 wins, and I only say this to try to put it in perspective. This horse is different, and I don’t want somebody on my horse that doesn’t know these things. That cannot be explained in the paddock to a rider, it can only be experienced in the race. And, with that in mind, it’s really important to have Corey on the horse with his confidence and the experience he has on top of him.

Q: Tell us a little about his way of going.
A: The great temptation with a horse that leaves the gate the way Mo Tom does is that you usually want to make sure you have something underneath you. You can’t do that with him because the way he switches on – if you ask him, he’s gone. Who wants to have three-quarters of a mile left of the race and wonder, is he there for me and then make a move prematurely. We don’t want that. Again, this is another reason why Corey is on the horse. That’s a little more specific of a reason, I guess.

Q: You didn’t want to discuss post position prior to the draw. Why?
A: Yeah, I’m pretty superstitious. The second you start talking about post position you draw the one you don’t want. I just preferred to leave that topic alone.

Q: He’s run on a sloppy track before and finished third. Do you think he didn’t like it?
A: Yeah, that was back in November in the Kentucky Jockey Club stakes here at Churchill. He’s matured and grown up some since then. Considering how far back that was, I think he ran a very good race on raw talent.

Q:Tell us about your Kentucky Oaks contender, Venus Valentine.
A: She’s a good filly and an easy one to train. Like Mo Tom, very straight forward. She’s been working real well these last couple of weeks. We’re galloping forward to the Kentucky Oaks.

Q: She finished fifth in the Fair Grounds Oaks. How did she come back after that race?
A: She came back okay. We didn’t have a lot of pace that day like we had in the Rachel Alexandra, and she needs it. But she also can be successful in the Kentucky Oaks; she’s got to put herself in the game early. We’re going to change equipment, so she’ll go blinkers on on Friday. Hopefully that will get her a little closer early.

Q: Is she just lazy at the start?
A: You know, I can’t figure it out because in the mornings she’s very eager and doesn’t act like a horse that’s going to fall off the screen, yet that’s exactly what she does in her races. We were aware of that going into the Fair Grounds Oaks and we tried to do things differently with her by getting after her early. It looked good at the beginning, but then 3/16 of a mile into the race she dropped way, way back.

Q: You mentioned pace is important for Venus Valentine. Do you consider it to be as important for Mo Tom considering his ability?
A: Yeah, he definitely needs pace. They both need pace. No question about it.