Tom Amoss has been a high-percentage, highly consistent trainer for more than three decades, but his name has never been more in the spotlight than it has been this year after a breakthrough win in the GI Kentucky Oaks with Serengeti Empress (Alternation). Amoss says his methods of training haven't changed, but a few other things have, including a concentration on buying at sales and adding former hotwalker-turned-bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle to his buying team.
Amoss did not grow up in a racing family, so he started at the bottom and worked his way up the hard way. Now he not only develops young horses, but he also strives to develop young horsemen and horsewomen.
“There were people there that helped me along the way and I feel responsibility to do the same for this younger generation,” said Amoss. “So working with Lauren or others for that matter that are actually in the barn working with me on a daily basis, I take a lot of pride in that.”
Carlisle had walked hots for Amoss the summer after her freshman year at University of Louisville in 2009. After a number of different jobs in the industry, she found her niche in bloodstock.
“I really like working the sales and finding horses–it's a challenge,” said Carlisle. “I'm not a very good office doer, so I enjoy being out there and actually working hands-on per se and finding the next racehorse. That really appeals to me.”
It's been less than a year since Carlisle began assisting Amoss in buying horses for clients, but it's already paying dividends. A promising juvenile the team got for $225,000 at OBS April, Long Weekend (Majesticperfection), debuted at Churchill Downs June 23 to officially win by five lengths. He's pointing toward stakes competition at Saratoga next.
“Lauren found that horse, called me and told me how athletic he was, and we made the purchase strictly on her finding the horse,” said Amoss.
The partnership works out well.
“The 2-year-old in training sales are attractive from the standpoint of you're getting to look under the hood. You're getting to watch the horses breeze,” continued Amoss. “Unfortunately, they come at a very difficult time for me. It's in the spring, we've got a lot going as we're preparing for the bigger races here at Churchill, but I have full confidence in Lauren and I turn it over to her.”
Amoss said Carlisle knows what he looks for in prospective runners, but she's also able to bring fresh approaches from a different viewpoint that he might not have considered.
“I personally target athletes strictly,” said Carlisle. “I don't look at pedigrees before I look at horses; I look at the physical first. If I don't like the way they're built, there's no reason for me to look at their pedigree. From there, pedigree will tell you how expensive they're going to be, depending on how they look.”
In the past, Amoss has been viewed, correctly or not, as primarily a claiming trainer, but the last few years have seen him concentrating more on yearling sales and even 2-year-olds in training sales. Serengeti Empress was a $70,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.
“In terms of how people view the stable since Serengeti Empress won the Kentucky Oaks, it's a bit of a wry smile I have about it because I've been doing this a long time,” said Amoss. “I didn't all of a sudden get really good at it overnight like from last year to this year. I do recognize that people see it as something that separates you from a lot of other guys. Maybe that's more perceived than real. Whatever it is, I'll take it.”
The process starts anew for Amoss and Carlisle when yearling sale season officially kicks off at the Fasig-Tipton July sale next week.
“This time of year, it's reload,” said Carlisle. “Two-year-olds are behind us. So [at] Fasig July, I'll be out there looking at every single horse, and then [at] Saratoga, I'll be at that sale as well. I know Tom will be too. The focus is to do it all over again.”
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