University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Turf Publicists of America (TPA) announced that trainer Tom Amoss is the recipient of the 2020 Big Sport of Turfdom award, which recognizes a person or group of people who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and racing publicists.

The announcement was made as part of NYRA's America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports Saturday afternoon.

Amoss has amassed more than 3,800 victories and earnings of more than $107 million during his training career, highlighted by Serengeti Empress, winner of the 2019 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and 2020 Ballerina Stakes (G1) and Azeri Stakes (G2), among others; 2020 Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Claiborne Farm (G1) winner No Parole; and 2020 Ohio Derby (G3) winner Dean Martini.

In addition to his training career, Amoss has served as a racing analyst for TVG, ESPN, NYRA TV and FOX Sports.

“Tom Amoss' passion for racing, and his generously sharing his knowledge with fans through his broadcast work, is the embodiment of the Big Sport of Turfdom award,” TPA President Amy Gregory said. “He understands the importance of educating fans and conveying why they should love this sport. We congratulate Tom on his racing success and on winning this year's award.”

A native of New Orleans, Amoss began his racing career in high school working for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg. After graduating from Louisiana State University, he worked for trainer Frank Brothers, as a veterinary assistant for Backstretch Surgery & Medicine and as an assistant trainer to both Larry Robideaux and John Parisella. He took out his trainer's license in 1987.

In addition to the aforementioned Serengeti Empress, No Parole and Dean Martini, Amoss trained Grade 1 winners Heritage of Gold and Big World as well as such graded stakes winners Chocolate Martini, Lone Sailor, Mo Tom, Venus Valentine, Grand Contender, Delaunay, Sum of the Parts, Backtalk, Rush and Baghdaria. Amoss finished third in the 2013 Preakness Stakes (G1) with Mylute.

Inducted into the Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, he has earned leading trainer titles at Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs, Hoosier Park, Indiana Grand and Presque Isle Downs.

This year has marked a time of professional highs and personal lows for Amoss. His father, Walter James Amoss Jr., died of COVID-19 in late March at the age of 95. Amoss himself quarantined in March after being exposed to the virus.

“I am humbled and honored to be the recipient of the Big Sport of Turfdom award,” Amoss said. “Please be assured I will wear it proudly and respectfully.”

The Big Sport of Turfdom award is presented to the winner at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's annual awards luncheon, which is part of the Symposium on Racing & Gaming. Due to cancellation of this year's Symposium as a result of the pandemic, Amoss will be recognized next year along with the 2021 Big Sport of Turfdom award winner.

The Big Sport of Turfdom has been presented annually since 1966. Trainer Mark Casse received the award last year, joining such previous winners as jockeys Mike Smith, Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Bill Shoemaker, Angel Cordero Jr., Eddie Arcaro and Gary Stevens; trainers Art Sherman, Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Jack Van Berg; two-time winner Penny Chenery, owner of Secretariat; announcer Tom Durkin, author Laura Hillenbrand, broadcaster Jim McKay, Turf writer Joe Hirsch and actors Tim Conway and Jack Klugman.

A complete list of Big Sport of Turfdom winners is available online at http://www.turfpublicists.com/awards.html.

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By his own admission, Grant Forster is not a “big fish in a small pond” kind of guy. He was extremely successful at Emerald Downs in the early years of his training career but made the decision to move to Kentucky in 2007 to “take on the sport's biggest players.”

Forster's stable was reduced by the move, but 13 years later the trainer is preparing to saddle his first Breeders' Cup starter. Gulliver Racing, Craig Drager, and Dan Legan's Pirate's Punch, a 4-year-old son of Shanghai Bobby, will be one of the top choices in the Grade 1 Dirt Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“It's obviously super exciting,” said Forster, 46. “Everybody in horse racing, whether you're a jockey, a trainer, a groom, wants to be associated with a horse in the Triple Crown or the Breeders' Cup. Now, not only do we have a horse in the Breeders' Cup, but we have a live chance to win.

“Winning a race like that would really be big for my career. We're a smaller stable but we've been fortunate; it always seems like we've had one stakes horse in the barn. We've won some nice graded stakes, and we've placed in nice graded stakes, but we've never won a Grade 1, never competed in the Breeders' Cup, so to do that, that's why we're all here.”

Pirate's Punch won the G3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park last Saturday by two lengths, returning to the winner's circle after a disqualification from victory in the G3 Phillip H. Iselin at the New Jersey oval on Aug. 22.

“When he crossed the wire first in the Iselin at Monmouth, the Breeders' Cup really entered the conversation,” Forster said. “The horse he beat, Warrior's Charge, was one of the top contenders in the division. Even though we were disqualified, we felt we had the best horse on that day; we looked him in the eye and beat him.”

Warrior's Charge returned to finish a disappointing eighth in the G3 Ack Ack at Churchill Downs on Sept. 26 after setting a wicked early pace, but Pirate's Punch showed he has not regressed off the Iselin effort. His Salvator Mile victory was accomplished in easy style, with jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr. allowing the gelding to ease up in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“It was a nice redemption,” said Forster. “He has consistently improved, and his confidence is at an all-time high. He's just a lovely horse, loves to train, loves attention, and loves people. As he's accomplished more he's gotten more proud of himself, and he thinks he's king of the world now!”

It's a good feeling heading into the Breeders' Cup, even with all the uncertainty of 2020.

Forster, a native of British Columbia, Canada, has long hoped for a shot at the top of the sport. A son of two Canadian horsemen, he attended the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program and began his career as a media relations specialist at Emerald Downs in 1997.

Three years later, Forster found himself really missing the day-to-day contact with horses and returned to working for his British Columbia Racing Hall of Fame father, Dave Forster, as a groom at Emerald. He worked his way up to assistant trainer and took out his own license in 2003.

Forster earned several leading trainer titles at Emerald and saddled the winners of three consecutive editions of the Washington Oaks, as well as the winner of the 2005 edition of the G3 Longacres Mile. He was also successful during winter meetings at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

“I had some wonderful years there and trained for wonderful people,” Forster said. “I felt like I'd accomplished everything I could out there, though, so to me it was more exciting to be based in Kentucky.”

So far, the top horse in Forster's stable has been the 2008 mare Brushed By A Star, by Eddington. She was a $10,000 yearling at the Keeneland September sale, but earned $441,991 on the track with wins in the G2 Chilukki and G2 Molly Pitcher Stakes under Forster's care.

Still, Pirate's Punch has worked his way into Forster's heart in a way none of his previous trainees has been able to touch.

Pirate's Punch, Jorge Vargas Jr. aboard

“If I was a coach in high school basketball, he'd be my favorite player,” Forster admitted. “He's run well for us every time, just his consistency on the track is remarkable. He's also an unbelievably kind horse. He loves to work with people, he loves being around people. He just wants them to pet him, but not in any kind of needy way; he just is a very social horse.

“He lives in the first stall on the corner, nearest the office. He's an absolute savage for carrots! We go through many many bags of baby carrots each week, and we're more than happy to provide those for him.”

Pirate's Punch was first in training with Jeff Mullins in California, but moved to Forster's care after breaking his maiden for a $30,000 tag at Ellis Park in July of 2019. The gelding immediately stepped up to win an allowance race at Indiana Grand, then finished third in the G3 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Now, Pirate's Punch has a record of five wins, three seconds, and four thirds from 17 starts for earnings of $332,751.

“We got him at just the right time,” Forster said. “He'd been gelded, broken his maiden and gained some confidence. He's just continued to improve ever since.

“When we got him, what he had accomplished and what he turned into, hopefully it's a strong commercial for our program.”

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