Amoss' graded stakes horses rested, ready for 'big campaign'

Blessed with a trio of graded stakes winners in 2018, trainer Tom Amoss knew when it was time to take his foot off the gas. 

After brief freshenings, Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Chocolate Martini, Pocahontas Stakes (G2) victoress Serengeti Empress and Oklahoma Derby (G3) hero Lone Sailor all recently returned to Amoss’ New Orleans base.

Connections are pointing Lone Sailor toward the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap on March 23, while Serengeti Empress has her sights set on the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on the same day. Chocolate Martini is likely to make her 4-year-old debut at Oaklawn Park.

“They’re doing great,” Amoss said. “They’re probably anywhere from a month to a month and a half away from running. None of them had time off for any problems. They had time off because they had a hard campaign in 2018, and we’re counting on them to have a big campaign in 2019, so we gave them a little rest.”

Both Lone Sailor and Serengeti Empress got their freshening at GoldMark Farm in Ocala, Fla.

“It’s the Ritz-Carlton over there,” Amoss said. “Todd Quast runs the place and his assistant Lee (Guerrero) raised those horses. When I bought them at the sale, particularly Lone Sailor, they were in their care after the sale and they broke those horses so they have a special place in their heart. We’re happy to have them there for vacationing.

"As far as Chocolate Martini goes, she spent her time at Crestwood Farm in Kentucky so she had to keep her winter coat on while the other two got to put some sun tan oil on.”

A daughter of Broken Vow, Chocolate Martini was claimed by Amoss for $25,000 in February two starts before her Fair Grounds Oaks victory. She acquired more black type later on in the year with two third-place efforts in the Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita and the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga.

Owned by G M B Racing, Lone Sailor placed four times last year against graded stakes company and was a participant in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. The son of Majestic Warrior finished a respective eighth and fifth in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes behind Justify.

Amoss believes that Lone Sailor is showing a vast amount of improvement since the beginning of his sophomore campaign.

“I think his development is more of what you see on paper than what you see physically,” Amoss said. “He’s always been a good-looking horse and a physically imposing horse. We’d like to think that mentally he’s catching up to that. I think the Oklahoma Derby was the first step obviously running sixth against the greatest horses in the world in the Breeders’ Cup Classic was another step forward. We think that 2019 is his year.”

Lone Sailor was bred in Kentucky by Alexander-Groves-Matz and was purchased for $120,000 from Gainesway’s consignment operation at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2016. He is out of the Mr. Greeley broodmare Ambitious, whose dam Aldiza was a Grade I winner.