Tom Amoss | Horse Racing Free Tips

Save Brings Perfect Record From New Orleans For Aqueduct’s Cicada

After finding the winner's circle in both of her lifetime starts, Save will ship to New York for her stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 Cicada going six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Owned by breeder Mineola Farm II in partnership with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Save kicked off her career with a New Year's Day triumph at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, where she tracked a close second behind the pacesetter, engaging in a stretch duel and came out a length and a half on top.

The Tom Amoss-trained filly arrives at the Cicada off a triumph against winners, also at six furlongs, where she lugged out in the last eighth of a mile but still was able to secure the victory by 1 ¼ lengths and appeared to have plenty left in reserve on the gallop out.

“She's been there with [trainer] Bobby Ribaudo at Belmont and the plan is to run,” Amoss said. “We're looking forward to hopefully being competitive and getting some black type. Kendrick Carmouche will ride.”

The daughter of Violence is the fifth progeny out of the Vindication mare Sustain, whose three other offspring to race were winners. Save has accumulated $63,600 in purse earnings.

Other probable starters for the Cicada include Just Read It, Leader of the Band and Exogen.

On Saturday, Joel Politi's Littlestitious shipped to Laurel Park to win the one-mile Beyond the Wire over multiple stakes placed Fraudulent Charge and six-time stakes winner Street Lute. The daughter of Ghostzapper tracked in third, came under urging outside the quarter pole and collared Fraudulent Charge in the final furlong to win by a half-length.

The win was a second stakes triumph for Littlestitious, who won Delta Downs' My Trusty Cat on December 1.

“She's a multiple stakes winner now,” said Amoss. “For at least the next eight to nine days she will remain at Laurel because of the [EHV-1] quarantine in place. Once that is lifted, we'll start talking about what her future races might be.”

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Fair Grounds Invader Littlestitious Captures Beyond The Wire At Laurel

Joel Politi's Littlestitious came with a steady run down the center of the stretch to catch Fraudulent Charge inside the sixteenth pole and edge clear to a half-length victory in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire Saturday at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 33^rd running of the one-mile Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies was the first of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses on a nine-race program, headlined by the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell for trainer Tom Amoss, Littlestitious ($10.20) completed the distance in 1:36.75 over a fast main track to earn her second career stakes victory following the My Trusty Cat Dec. 1 at Delta Downs to cap her juvenile season.

This year, the bay daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper ran fifth in the Silverbulletday Jan. 16 and fourth behind Clairiere and Travel Column – two of this year's top Kentucky Oaks (G1) prospects – in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds

“The division down in New Orleans is about as good as anywhere. If you look at the Oaks, those are the top two fillies on a lot of people's lists,” winning owner Joel Politi said. “We didn't want to beat our heads against them again, so this was a good opportunity for her to stretch her legs a little bit.”

Littlestitious broke sharply but settled in third under Russell as Street Lute and Fraudulent Charge hooked up on the lead. A winner of six career stakes including five in a row, and favored at 3-5 in her first try beyond seven furlongs, Street Lute went a quarter-mile in 24.71 seconds and a half in 47.71 with Fraudulent Charge glued to her right hip.

Fraudulent Charge, second to Street Lute in the Dec. 26 Gin Talking and Feb. 20 Wide Country in back-to-back starts, forged a short lead entering the stretch after going six furlongs in 1:11.64 while Littlestitious began to roll on the far outside. Russell set his filly down for a drive once straightened for home and kept her to task.

“She's a fighter and she's fought in all of her races. Sheldon rode her just unbelievably well and positioned her down the stretch,” Politi said. “I had a feeling in mid-stretch that she was going to get there, but she definitely had to earn that.”

Fraudulent Charge was second for the third straight race, 4 ½ lengths ahead of Street Lute in third. Journeytothemoon and Buckey's Charm completed the order of finish.

“We live in Columbus, Ohio, and we made the trip out today to be here. Winning a race here at a track I came to as a little kid is just a highlight for me,” Politi said. “Where we go from here, I have no idea yet. Tom and I will talk later, but this is great.”

Founded in 2017, Beyond the Wire is an industry-wide initiative between the Maryland Jockey Club, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland jockeys designed to facilitate safe and enriching placements for retired Maryland-based racehorses.

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Can Li’l Tootsie Continue Amoss And Politi’s Roll With Sophomore Fillies?

Should Tom Amoss win his 12th trainer's title at Fair Grounds, he'll have an arsenal of 3-year-old fillies to thank. The New Orleans native currently sits atop the standings with the help of a talented group of sophomore fillies, and the streaking Li'l Tootsie could cap a banner meet should she handle the class rise in the March 20 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).

Joel Politi's Li'l Tootsie has been busy at the meet for Amoss. The daughter of Tapiture was second on debut in November before breaking her maiden in January. On February 12 she won her two-turn debut in an optional-claiming allowance and it was that effort that got Amoss thinking Oaks. Li'l Tootsie closed stoutly along the rail and won going away and that wasn't necessarily the way it figured to play out on paper after she had raced close up in her two sprints.

“It was a very impressive two-turn debut for a number of reasons,” Amoss said. “Anybody that was handicapping and watching the race, knowing what she is, seeing her break, fall back, and then getting into stride late in the race. I don't think that was expected by anyone. It was an unusual race in the sense that she was totally out of position of where I thought she would be, based on what she accomplished in her other races sprinting. Having said that, it was a very enjoyable outcome.”

Amoss and Politi teamed up and had some historic success with the since-retired Serengeti Empress, who won five graded stakes, including the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs in 2019 before ending her career when second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland in November. Li'l Tootsie is far less accomplished at this point, and would be making her stakes debut in the Fair Grounds Oaks, but Amoss knows you have to take a shot to see where you fit, since options can become limited.

“This time of year, if you have a horse that has won two races, boy or girl, it's either stakes competition or sit in the barn,” Amoss said. “Allowance races don't go beyond that first condition. Joel and I have already spoken, and we think with that successful transition to two turns, we think the Fair Grounds Oaks is going to be our next start, provided she stays healthy.”

Mineola Farm II and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Save won her debut here on New Year's Day and made it 2-for-2 with an optional-claiming win February 16. The daughter of Violence got tested early and often in her second start and responded nicely to win going away by 1 ¼ lengths. Like Li'l Tootsie, Save is also likely in line for a rise in class for her next start.

“With Save, I think certainly we're looking at stakes competition next but whether we stretch out to two turns or stay at one-turn, that's still to be determined,” Amoss said. “Her race was certainly workmanlike but you have to look beyond that and what's going into these races and what these horses are trying to accomplish.”

Amoss already tested the best 3-year-old fillies on the grounds with a trio from his barn in the February 13 Rachel Alexandra (G2), though the results were a mixed bag. Politi's Littlestitious was best of the lot, running fourth, about seven lengths behind the top two – Clairiere and Travel Column – while Cosmic Racing's Zoom Up was seventh, and B.C.W.T.'s Off We Go was well-beaten and last of eight. As with all lightly race horses, Amoss knows there will be ups and downs, and a lot of adjustments, while trying to figure out where they all belong.

“Littlestitious finished the best of the three and she showed she's a good horse, but she's not where those other fillies are that ran in front of her at this stage, particularly the top two finishers,” Amoss said. “It's a growing process, a developmental process. A lot could change in the next few months from where they are right now. Each of those horses will stand on their own merits and what we do with each of them will be a decision between the owners and myself (about where they will run in the next).”

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Four Stakes Wins Propel Diego Saenz To Jockey Of The Week Honors

Jockey Diego Saenz won four stakes races at Delta Downs on their richest program of the year to earn Jockey of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 8 through Feb. 14.

The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Under jockey Diego Saenz and riding for trainer Tom Amoss and owners Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin, No Parole was an easy winner in the Premier Day Sprint. No Parole covered the 5-furlong distance in 57.37 the fastest clocking of the season at that distance.

Trainer Bret Calhoun gave Saenz a leg up on Southern Beauty in the Premier Day Matron. Saenz roused her to the lead turning for home in the five-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares. The win was the fourth of the day for Saenz.

Eclipse award-winning trainer Brad Cox teamed with Saenz on Australasia in the Premier Day Starlet for 3-year-old fillies at one mile. Under Saenz, Australasia set the early pace and then took off to win by 7-1/4 lengths.

Riding for trainer Ronnie Averett in the Premier Day Bon Temps Starter, Saenz and Wild Mallory won the five-furlong test in front-running style.

Saez, who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, has been riding professionally since 2004 primarily on the Louisiana circuit. He has won numerous riding titles at Delta Downs and currently sits in second place.

Lifetime to date, he has won 2,326 races and more than $47 million purses.

Saenz out polled fellow riders Eric Cancel who was leading jockey by number of wins and won a stakes at Aqueduct, Florent Geroux who won two stakes races at Fair Grounds, Gerard Melancon who won three stakes at Delta Downs and Flavien Prat who won a stakes race at Santa Anita.

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