According to the Fair Grounds Barn Notes for December 19th, the Tom Amoss-trained two-year-olds Mo Tom and Harlan Punch both have the $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) on March 28th as their major goal for this winter.
Mo Tom, who won the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill before finishing a strong third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II), breezed four furlongs in :49 4/5 at Fair Grounds earlier today. Harlan Punch, coming off of a third-place finish in the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III), went the same distance in :50 1/5.
“We are starting to get started with a couple of the younger ones who have accomplished some and each had the same kind of work – easy half-miles,” Amoss was quoted as saying. “I’m obviously hoping they develop into nice 3-year-olds, but they have some tasks ahead. A lot of guys get excited about their horses this time of year, but it’s a long way off.”
“Mo Tom worked well and so did Harlan Punch,” Amoss continued. “There’s a discussion going on between both the Rosemont and G M B camps as to how much racing they want to do before the Louisiana Derby, which is the goal of both horses. Whether or not we use two preps or one going into it is something the horses will tell us. Right now Harlan Punch is a mature two year old, while Mo Tom still has a lot of maturing to do.”
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