Graham, Amoss, Moss Take FG Meet Titles
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Jockey James Graham, trainer Tom Amoss, and owner Maggi Moss topped the standings in their respective categories when the 2014/2015 meet at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots concluded its 81-day run March 29.
A pair of 3-year-olds who swept the stakes in their respective divisions, International Star and I'm a Chatterbox, were named co-Horses of the Meet in a tied vote.
Graham, second in the Fair Grounds rider standings on four occasions, captured his first meet title at the New Orleans oval, tallying 106 wins, earning more than $3.2 million in purses. The wins gave Graham his best Fair Grounds meet, a one-win improvement upon his 105 wins in the 2013-2014 racing season and provided him a 34-win margin of victory over his closest pursuers in the standings. Graham's biggest win of the season came in New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) aboard Call Me George, a 22-1 outsider who provided the rider with his 2,000th career victory March 28.
Amoss, a New Orleans native, captured his 11th Fair Grounds training title and second in the past three years when recording 41 victories, six more than his closest challenger while his runners collected a meet-leading $1.29 million in earnings from 152 starts. Ranked second all time in training wins at Fair Grounds, Amoss has now recorded 1,051 victories at his hometown track, second only to Hall of Fame member Jack Van Berg's estimated 1,210 local wins.
Moss again prevailed as leading owner, with her 15 wins earning her a fifth consecutive year atop the standings. Moss' runners earned $437,695.
The track's series of preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) was little more than a two-horse show this season, with both International Star and I'm a Chatterbox sweeping the trio of stakes in their respective divisions to share the title of Horse of the Meet.
International Star (by Fusaichi Pegasus ), owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and conditioned by Mike Maker, posted three impressive victories this year under jockey Miguel Mena, proving best in the Lecomte (gr. III), the Risen Star (gr. II) and the Louisiana Derby (gr. II). His counterpart in the 3-year-old filly division was Fletcher and Carolyn Gray's Larry Jones-trained I'm a Chatterbox (by Munnings ), who captured the listed Silverbulletday Stakes, the Rachel Alexandra (gr. III), and the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II).