Barn Tour: Tom Amoss on promising juveniles, older horses

It’s the time of year when 2-year-olds are starting to emerge, with early winners raising hopes for what might lie ahead.

Tom Amoss has three juveniles who were winners their first time out. From his barn at Churchill Downs, Amoss discussed that trio and provided updates on some of his top older horses for the latest in Horse Racing Nation’s Barn Tour series.

2-year-olds

Owen’s Leap, by Bold d’Oro out of Defy Gravity. “Owen's Leap was a very impressive winner first time out. He's a horse that I picked out at the Keeneland yearly sale last year, so I'm really proud of that. Next for him will either be the stake at Churchill Downs, the Bashford Manor (G3), or the opening weekend stake at Saratoga, the Sanford (G3).”

Curly Jack, by Good Magic out of Connie and Michael. “Another very impressive first-time-out winner out of our barn. Also picked out at the Keeneland sale by me. And where Owen's Leap doesn't run, Curly Jack will run. So we'll have one in at Churchill at the end-of-meet stake and one in opening week at Saratoga. The order has yet to be determined.”

Mozingo, by Too Much Bling out of Fast Find. “Mozingo is a first-time starter, a filly, for us at Indiana Grand. With the girls, it's really important if you can get black type for their value off the racetrack. So you've got to strike while the iron is hot. She's doing well, she's precocious. Look for her in a stake race sometime in July, possibly Prairie Meadows.”

Older horses

Li’l Tootsie, a 4-year-old filly by Tapiture out of Informative Style. Finished third in the Winning Colors (G3) on May 30. “One of my favorite horses. I picked her out the sale. I love the name, and she's got a great personality. She's a middle-distance type and needs pace to run into. She has a really strong closing kick.

"She has been invited to the Princess Rooney down at Gulfstream July 4 weekend, as well as a stakes race here at Churchill Downs at the end of the month. And we'll kind of look over the nominations and see who the probables are for each, and the one we go in will be the one where we think there's the most early speed that might beach other up and allow us to close well.

Misty Veil, a 4-year-old filly by Tonalist out of Genuine Class. 5: 3-2-0 record this year, was second in a Churchill Downs allowance optional claiming race on Sunday. “Just a really good claim for us last year for Maggi Moss at $30,000. She brings it every time she runs. She just got beat over the weekend in a high-level allowance race. Look for her to be in that kind of race and also one that we might try to get some black type for her this summer.”

Sermononthemount, a 4-year-old colt by Tale of Ekati out of Perfect Nodouble. Finished second in a Hawthorne allowance optional claiming race on May 13. “He's a difficult horse because he's got a lot of stamina in the way he runs. So any race that will possibly back up to him flatters his ability. We're considering running him in some marathon dirt races in July.”

More Memories, a 3-year-old colt by More Than Ready out of Cozy Gain. Finished fourth in the black-type Louisiana Legends Chevai on June 4. “More Memories is a Louisiana-bred. And if you look closely at his pedigree, you'll see how strong it is for the grass. And yet ironically, we've never been able to get him on the grass. He's done very well. And he's a horse, with the closing of the Churchill Downs turf course, that his turf start will be delayed, but look for it to be sometime in July.”

Search Engine, a 3-year-old colt by Flatter out of Co Cola. 0-for-2 last year, but has two wins and a second in three starts this year.

“Search Engine is a very good example of trying to develop a horse. He's well bred. But he was not a horse that really understood the competition of racing very well. So we put him in some smaller environments to try to enable him to have some success and build his confidence. We think we've done that.

"So it's time to move on to something bigger for him. Look for him at the end of the month or the beginning of July in a high-powered 3-year-old race to see if he can step up to that level.”

Dowagiac Chief, 3-year-old colt by Cairo Prince out of Jahwhol. 10th in the American Turf (G2) at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. “He's a really good turf specialist, and he's a 3-year-old. He didn't fare well at Churchill Downs, but a lot of that has to do with the Churchill Downs turf course. And we're going throw that last race out. He's one that tends to like to let his speed do the talking early in the race, and he's going run in Minnesota in the Mystic Lakes Derby a week from today, on the 22nd.”