AMOSS DISCUSSES PLANS FOR GRADED STAKES WINNERS LONE SAILOR, SERENGETI EMPRESS

By Ryan Martin —-

Serengeti Empress;
Photo Courtesy of Coady Photography

Barn Notes: Thursday, November 29, 2018

Trainer Tom Amoss sent graded stakes winners and Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships contenders Serengeti Empress and Lone Sailor to GoldMark Farm in Ocala, Fla. for some downtime during the remainder of the year, but has still made plans for their early 2019 campaign.

A runaway 19½-length winner of the Grade II Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs on September 15, Serengeti Empress last raced in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 2. The 2-year-old daughter of Alternation was in a little tight going around the first turn and sat just off the pace led by eventual winner Jaywalk, but began giving way as the field approached the far turn and faded to seventh.

Amoss stated that she would return to his barn at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots at the beginning of the New Year with the long term goal being the Grade II $400,000 Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks on March 23, which is the final of three local preps on Churchill Downs’ Road to The Kentucky Oaks.

“She didn’t have a good trip,” Amoss said of Serengeti Empress’s effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. “She got stopped at the first turn, lost her position and that hurt us a lot. She’s a young horse and it was a learning experience for her. We feel strongly that at age three she is going to be just as good.”

Owned by Joel Politi, Serengeti Empress is a two-time stakes winner having taken the Pocahontas Stakes as well as the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes on August 19 by an astonishing 13½ lengths.

G M B Racing’s Lone Sailor will arrive at Fair Grounds around the same time as his stable mate and will target the Grade II $400,000 New Orleans Handicap on March 23.

The 3-year-old son of Majestic Warrior had been knocking on the door in some of the most prestigious races for sophomores all season long but finally got a well-deserved graded stakes victory in the Grade III Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on September 30. Amoss ran Lone Sailor back against elders in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 3 at Churchill Downs where he was sixth behind Accelerate.

“I think that he’s a horse that’s finding his way,” Amoss said. “It took him a long time to understand what racing is about and he’s took a big step forward when he showed how competitive he can be in the Oklahoma Derby. Off of that race we really thought that he was finally figuring out competition. The Breeders’ Cup Classic had the best horses in the world and for him to be in the top six in that race was something that we’re very proud of.”

Lone Sailor’s 3-year-old campaign also included a respective eighth and fifth behind eventual Triple Crown winner Justify in the Grade I Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 5 and the Grade I Preakness Stakes on May 19.

Amoss pointed out that both horses would likely have one prep before their respective long term targets at the end of the Fair Grounds meet.

THE PHUNKY MONKEYS, ALLAN MAXWELL & FRIENDS HEADLINE FRIDAY EVENING’S STARLIGHT RACING

NEW ORLEANS (November 29, 2018) – This Friday, November 30, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will kick off its series of Starlight Racing Presented by Miller Lite, Blue Moon, Absolut, Jameson, Event Producers and B97, which features live racing, entertainment and popular local food pop-ups.

“We are excited to host our first of four Starlight Racing events for the season on Friday evening,” said Fair Grounds President and General Manager Doug Shipley. “Starlight Racing, still a premiere “see-and-be-seen” event in New Orleans, has evolved into a more traditional beer garden experience and we look forward to entertaining both new and old fans of racing in what is sure to be an excellent night of live racing and live entertainment.”

The Phunky Monkeys are slated to perform in the clubhouse starting at 7 p.m. and Allan Maxwell & Friends will play in the Miller Lite Beer Garden on the track apron beginning at 6 p.m. Local food trucks and pop-up stands Crepes a la Carte and Triple B’s Cajun Corner will be on-site for the first Starlight event of the season near the Starlight tent on the track apron while Messina’s Concessions will be located near the paddock.

In the Miller Lite Beer Garden, Starlight Racing events will feature a Cheers replica bar replete with eight special brews on tap as well as wines on tap. A mixture of woods and metals bring a true beer garden to life with a comfortable, yet modern feel for a night of racing. Guests will enjoy creative and expanded seating options while enjoying musical acts from the Starlight stage in the tent at each event.

In addition, this is the final day of the Fair Grounds Second Harvest Food Drive with collection boxes located at Fair Grounds and all Fair Grounds-affiliated OTB locations.

Friday’s Starlight Racing event will begin with a 5:00 p.m. first post. General admission is $5 and includes access to the trackside apron, grandstand and paddock area. Admission to the Miller Lite Beer Garden as well as the clubhouse will be $10. Patrons must be 21 years or older with valid photo ID to enter the Beer Garden.

About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (“Fair Grounds”), the nation’s third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN). Fair Grounds also operates 14 OTBs (12 with video poker facilities) throughout southeast Louisiana. Live racing at Fair Grounds returns in the fall with the 147th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 106th running of the Louisiana Derby in March of 2019. More information can be found online at www.fairgroundsracecourse.com.

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