Salutos Amigos Searches For Fourth Straight
At the beginning of 2014, Salutos Amigos was seen finishing off the board in a claiming race on the grass at Santa Anita Park. Fast forward to today, and he’s looking to win his fourth straight dirt sprint stakes in New York. Again facing the likes of G1 winner Dads Caps, Salutos Amigos looks to land his fourth graded stakes score on the Gotham Day undercard.
Following a respective year which featured numerous allowance wins and thirds in the True North (G2) and Belmont Sprint Championship (G3), things came together for Salutos Amigos with a strong 3 ¼ length score in the Bold Ruler (G3) to record his first graded stakes win. A week and 2800 miles later, he finished a reasonable 7th place, beaten only 3 lengths, to Work All Week in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Since then, Salutos Amigos has been unstoppable, recording wins in the Fall Highweight (G3), Gravesend, and Toboggan (G3).
Dads Caps is entering the Tom Fool off of a second place finish to his aforementioned rival in the Toboggan last month. After kicking clear by 4 lengths at the top of the stretch, Dads Caps was caught late by a charging Salutos Amigos and was beaten 1 ¾ lengths while finishing 7 ½ lengths in front of his next rival. Dads Caps hasn’t won since he stole the Carter Hdcp (G1) on April 5th of last year, but has put up some decent performances since, including seconds in the Troy, Vosburgh (G1), and Toboggan (G3) and a third in the Gravesend (also to Salutos Amigos.)
Virginia-bred Maleeh for Shadwell Stable is searching for his first win in two years but brings an interesting touch to the Tom Fool. Only off the board once in the 2013 Bay Shore (G3), Maleeh has since finished second, second, and third respectively in optional claimers since. West Hills Giant, the coupled entry of Elevated and Sonny Inspired, and Green Gratto round out the field.
Salutos Amigos and Dads Caps appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of their opposition and are set to renew what could possibly be a budding rivalry in the Tom Fool. Will Dads Caps get his revenge and end Salutos Amigos’s win streak, or will Salutos Amigos continue to rise in stardom and assert himself as one of the best sprinters in the land with another convincing graded stakes score?