Fair Grounds Barn Notes: Shareholder Value’s Plans Undecided

By Michael Adolphson —-

• Shareholder Value’s Plans Undecided
• Kentucky Oaks Hopefuls Highlight Work Tab

SHAREHOLDER VALUE’S PLANS UNDECIDED

Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Shareholder Value impressed many with a swift acceleration on Monday afternoon at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, beating winners in a first-level 2-year-old allowance going a mile and 70 yards. Trained by 11-time Fair Grounds champion trainer Tom Amoss, the son of Uncle Mo brought back memories of G M B Racing’s Mo Tom, of the same sire, whose similar swift closing kick earned him a smart victory in January’s Grade III Lecomte Stakes.

“The one thing I can say about these two is they can be pretty smart,” Amoss said. “They’re laid back around the barn and easy to work with in the mornings, but they can be very difficult in the afternoons.”

Being difficult is something Shareholder Value has ratcheted up a few notches for Amoss. The well-built bay has, despite his successful ventures and pair of wins, been a challenge.

“He’s been a difficult horse,” Amoss explained. “He’s mentally immature and that had me do something I don’t typically do, which is put blinkers on him earlier this year to try to get him to focus. He didn’t understand competition, but then all of a sudden he got aggressive in the blinkers. He even, on the day he broke his maiden at Keeneland, was too aggressive for my liking. So, that wasn’t a successful experiment and I took off the blinkers for this race.

“I’ve been doing a lot of work with him in company and was pleased with Monday’s effort,” he continued. “It was encouraging, especially that final quarter of a mile. He’s getting better, but it’s up in the air where we go from here. On one hand, he’s improving and on another he’s still immature. I’m excited that he still has much better to come. In the meantime, we’ll see how he trains and then decide on the Lecomte.”

A $190,000 Keeneland September purchase by Klaravich, Shareholder Value is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Rylee’s Song. A first foal, he hails from the family of Grade I winner Capt Candyman Can, to whom his dam is a half-sister.

KENTUCKY OAKS HOPEFULS HIGHLIGHT WORK TAB

A pair of Kentucky Oaks hopefuls topped this week’s work tab, with Stonestreet Stables’ Valadorna and Coffeepot Stables’ Farrell each working half-miles for their respective connections. Trained by Mark Casse, Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Valadorna had her first drill over the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots surface with a half-mile in 48.60 on Thursday morning. Grade II Golden Rod romper Farrell worked a day prior, negotiating the same distance in 48.80 for trainer Wayne Catalano.

Catalano also sent out Gary and Mary West’s multiple Oaks winning sophomore filly Family Tree, who worked a quick half-mile in 48.20 – good for third-best of 35 moves at the distance on Wednesday morning.

Multiple Grade I winner I’m a Chatterbox was also on the tab on Wednesday morning, preparing for her 5-year-old bow. The Fletcher and Carolyn Gray homebred worked a half-mile in 48.80 for trainer Larry Jones, who also sent out Sagamore Farm and Brereton C. Jones’ speedy sprinter Chief Istan to easily earn the bullet that morning in 47.40.

An improving sprinter to watch, multiple stakes-placed Quijote, also worked a half-mile this week, negotiating such in 49.40 on Tuesday morning for trainer Tom Amoss and owner Midwest Thoroughbreds.

Tuesday’s move of the day was a five-furlong bullet drill by Winter Quarter Farm’s War Front filly Cambodia, who was wow-worthy when romping in second-level turf allowance company for trainer Tom Proctor on Dec. 1.