Last Samurai Holds Off Super Stock To Win Poinsettia At Oaklawn

Jon Court, still riding winners at age 61, showed that a jockey can turn in a bold ride at any age with his late-stretch move on Last Samurai to win the inaugural Poinsettia Stakes at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Ark. After stalking the pace, a wide move on the far turn gave Last Samurai the clear running lane he needed to battle Super Stock and emerge victorious by three-quarters of a length.

Flash of Mischief got the best of a clean break, getting out to an early lead over Myopic and Super Stock into the first turn. Down the backstretch, Flash of Mischief was a length in front, with Last Samurai stalking in fourth. Into the far turn, Flash of Mischief still held the advantage, with Court moving Last Samurai three-wide to find a running lane for their stretch bid.

Into the Oaklawn straight, Flash of Mischief held a half-length lead with Last Samurai and Super Stock driving on his outside. Those two dueled down the latter part of the stretch, with Last Samurai digging in to take over the lead inside the last sixteenth of a mile. He was three-quarters of a length in front at the wire, with Super Stock second and Flash of Mischief holding on for third. Defeater, Ram, Myopic, and Simovitch rounded out the field.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.70. Find this race's chart here.

Last Samurai paid $10.20, $4.40, and $3.00. Super Stock paid $3.60 and $2.40. Flash of Mischief paid $2.80.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Last Samurai is by Mailbu Moon out of the First Samurai mare Lady Samuri. He is trained by Dallas Stewart and owned by Willis Horton Racing, who purchased the colt from consigner Gene Recio for $175,000 at the March 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. With his win in the Poinsettia, the 3-year-old colt has two wins in nine starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of three wins in 12 starts and career earnings of $312,744.

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Oklahoma Derby Field Features Super Stock, Mr. Wireless

The $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby has collected a quality field for the Sept. 26 renewal at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. A cast of previous derby winners is featured in a field of eight to contest the 1-1/8 miles.

The Oklahoma Derby headlines a stellar stakes-laden program on Sept. 26, including the $200,000 Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks.

Warrant, from the strong barn of trainer Brad Cox, winner of the $300,000 Texas Derby in May at Lone Star Park, has been made the morning-line favorite at 5-2 odds. The Oklahoma Derby came up tough to determine a morning-line favorite with three past derby winners all extremely close in the equation. Joel Rosario will come into Remington Park to ride Warrant. He was also the pilot in the colt's score in the Texas Derby, over the slop on May 31.

Mr. Wireless, a two-time derby winner, has entered the Oklahoma Derby from the barn of trainer Bret Calhoun. Triumphant in the $500,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park on Aug. 7, and before that, the $300,000 Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand on July 7, Mr. Wireless will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez. Remington Park odds-maker Jerry Shottenkirk has set Mr. Wireless at 3-1 odds.

Super Stock, winner of the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April at Oaklawn Park has been tabbed the third morning-line favorite at 7-2 odds. Recently victorious in the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby in Kentucky on Aug. 15, Super Stock is trained by Steve Asmussen, racing's all-time winningest trainer, and will be ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the hottest jockey on Remington Park's biggest day since the mid-2010s.

Super Stock's Arkansas Derby win punched his ticket to the $3,000,000 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May, where he finished 16th in a field of 19

Trainer Karl Broberg has entered Flash Of Mischief, fresh off his score in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fanduel Fairmount Park. Joe Talamo handled the colt in his last derby and will be in for the mount again in the Oklahoma Derby. Flash Of Mischief is at 8-1 in the morning line.

The field for the Oklahoma Derby, by post position and program number order, with trainer, jockey, and morning-line odds:

1. Super Stock: Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, 7-2

2. Flash Of Mischief: Karl Broberg, Joe Talamo, 8-1

3. Warrant: Brad Cox, Joel Rosario, 5-2 (morning-line favorite)

4. Parrot Head: Ronnie Cravens, David Cabrera, 20-1

5. Team Merchants: Doug O'Neill, Mario Gutierrez, 6-1

6. Defeater: Tom Amoss, James Graham,12-1

7. Mr. Wireless: Bret Calhoun, Ramon Vazquez, 3-1

8. Dial In For Lute: C.R. Trout, Jose Alvarez, 15-1

The Oklahoma Derby will go as the 11th race of 12 at 8:11 pm.

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‘You Get A Taste Of That And You Want More’: Recent Success Has Amoss Moving In New Direction

In a “been there, done that” kind of career, Tom Amoss has seen a lot of highs around the famed Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots oval. The New Orleans native and LSU graduate has won the local trainer's title an amazing 11 times, to go with countless local stakes as well, and he was voted into the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame in 1998. But even for someone with Amoss' gaudy resume, the recent tear he's been on has been otherworldly, and it has him in contention for title number 12.

Amoss last won the Fair Grounds trainer's title in 2014-15, and, after a 2-for-16 start to the meet, he didn't figure to seriously threaten atop the standings as 2020 turned to 2021. The landscape changed in a hurry, however, as the New Orleans native is now in the midst of a wild 11-for-23 streak which began on December 18.  Following his win in the Saturday finale with Defeater, his second of the day, Amoss snagged a tenuous one-win lead over four-time defending champion Brad Cox.

“Obviously, you have some hope going into the races, but racing luck can play a lot into the outcome of races,” Amoss said. “I think, in the end, as a trainer, you'd like to get rid of those peaks and valleys and kind of steady somewhere in between, but it doesn't work like that. So, when the barn is clicking it's just time to get out of the way. When it's not going well—and it was not going well at the beginning of the meet—you have to do what you always do when you get in one of those kind of sour streaks; you've got to continue to do the job as you always would, enter, and not hit the panic button.”

My Boy Gus is the type of horse Amoss built his career on, and the type that helped him win 11 local titles, as he claimed the 3-year-old for $40,000 out of his debut at Churchill Downs and immediately won right back with him. But as time has moved on, so have the goals of a stable that grown by leaps and bounds. Amoss won Churchill's Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Serengeti Empress in 2019 and last year's Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont Park with No Parole. After tasting success at racing's highest level, there's little wonder he wants more.

“We're moving in a little bit of a different direction,” Amoss said. “Don't get me wrong; claiming has always been our bread and butter and will continue to be so. But you get a taste of a horse you develop like Serengeti Empress and one trip to that winner's circle on Kentucky Oaks Day and to that infield—a place where they don't take any win pictures except the Derby and the Oaks—you get a taste of that and you want more.”

With a stable that now plays on the national scene, winning his 12th local title wasn't on top of the “to do” list as 2021 dawned. Amoss looked back fondly on when he was in the midst of building his local Hall of Fame resume, then pondered how another plaque on the wall of the barn would feel.

“If you asked me that question—what would winning the Fair Grounds title mean—10-to-15 years ago, I would have told you it means a lot—because it did,” Amoss said. “Fair Grounds was our major emphasis in the winter and the bulk of our horses were down here. And it was a great motivator to our barn, which works so hard all meet. But a lot has changed since then and what kind of stable we have. If we win the training title it's great, but it's not going to have the meaning it once did. And I don't mean to take anything away from something that would be an accomplishment for sure, but it's not an emphasis.”

No Parole fits the profile of the new-age Amoss horse. Purchased for $75,000 as a yearling, he won on debut here in his lone start at 2 and then went on to much greater heights at 3. Last year, the newly minted 4-year-old Louisiana-bred son of Violence won the LA Bred Premier Night Prince Stakes at Delta Downs in February then tried Triple Crown hopefuls in Oaklawn's Rebel (G2) a month later, where he was eighth. Amoss cut No Parole back and he won an optional-claimer there in April before winning the Stephens at Belmont to announce his presence as one of the top sophomore sprinters in the country. No Parole was ninth in the Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga in August and sixth in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland in October before Amoss decided he needed a break. He's worked twice since, including a 4-furlong move in a local 48.20 January 2, which has Amoss looking forward to a big 2021.

“He worked very well and showed he's getting ready very quickly,” Amoss said. “It would not be surprising to see him in the entry box sometime at the end of January or the beginning of February. He was great for us as a 3-year-old. He won a grade 1 in New York but horses, specifically sprinters, it's hard to keep them at the top of their game year-round. He tailed off, and that's not unusual, so it was time to give him a rest and get him ready for his 4-year-old year.”

While No Parole set the bar mighty high winning a grade 1 last year, Amoss has a slew of young horses he's looking forward to this year. He won with first-time starter Save here New Year's Day and sent out the highly-regarded Defeater to win the Saturday finale. The 3-year—old son of Union Rags was a $210,000 yearling purchase and ran to that price tag when he ran down a heavily favored Godolphin blueblooded entry. Prior to the race Amoss wasn't sure Defeater would win on debut, which only speaks to his talent, and his future.

“Defeater is a very, very nice colt but he comes with some difficulties for a trainer,” Amoss said. “He's not a precocious gate horse. Any of the young horses that are coming up like him, these are developing young horses and no matter how hard you try, you can't rush that development because a lot of that is getting physically bigger and stronger, as well as mentally understanding the racing. But make no mistake about it, Defeater is a runner.”

And Amoss, is a winner.

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Union Rags Firster Proves Best in Big Easy

10th-Fair Grounds, $50,000, Msw, 1-2, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.06, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.

Making his first career trip to the post, DEFEATER (c, 3, Union Rags–Internal Affair, by Orientate) spoiled the debuts of the Godolphin favored entry of Colonel Bowman (Curlin) and Gershwin (Distorted Humor) to take out the Saturday finale at Fair Grounds. A firming proposition to be off as the 8-5 second favorite, the $210,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate raced last but one as Gershwin conducted his business up front. That half-brother to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) cut the corner going well into the lane, but Defeater had crept into it under a hold on the turn, knifed through to launch his bid three or four deep in upper stretch, bothered the rallying Colonel Bowman inside the furlong marker and proved easily best. A claim of foul by Florent Geroux aboard Colonel Bowman was disallowed by stewards.

The winner is a full to Dinar, SP, $165,912, who was third over this track in the 2019 Tenacious S.; and a half to listed winner Backdoor Kenny (Half Ours). Dam Internal Affair produced a now-freshman colt by Classic Empire who RNA’d at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale for $55,000. Her 2020 filly is by Empire Maker and she was bred back to Union Rags for this spring. Sales history: $210,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

O-Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock & Steve Hornstock; B-Royal Oak Farm & Chadds Ford Stables (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss.

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