Salutos Amigos Back in New York for Tom Fool

After finishing second in a pair of graded stakes in Southern California, crack sprinter Salutos Amigos has returned to New York where he'll aim to defend his 2015 score in the $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap (gr. III) March 12 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned in partnership by Southern Equine Stable and his trainer David Jacobson, Salutos Amigos rolled to a four-length victory in last year's Tom Fool, slowed little by a 125-pound weight assignment in the six-furlong test. The 6-year-old Salute the Sarge gelding has been assigned 122 pounds for this year's race.

Salutos Amigos failed to register a victory in two starts this year at Santa Anita Park, but raced well both times, finishing second by a half length to San Onofre in the Midnight Lute Stakes (gr. III) in January before finishing second to Kobe's Back by the same margin in the Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II).

BALAN: Kobe's Back Finds Just Enough in Palos Verdes

Jockey Cornelio Velasquez didn't make the trip west with Salutos Amigos but he'll be back aboard Saturday. Velasquez guided Salutos Amigos to victory in last year's Tom Fool and then the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park, as well as a close second in the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park.

Jacobson also will send out Stallwalkin' Dude, a three-time stakes winner he owns in partership with Head of Plains Partners. The City Place gelding is making his 6-year-old season debut.

The field's most accomplished horse is Dads Caps, who has won the past two editions of the Carter Handicap (gr. I) going seven furlongs on the Aqueduct main track. The son of Discreet Cat   will try to improve on a seventh-place finish in the Toboggan Stakes (gr. III), his 6-year-old debut, which like the Tom Fool is contested at six furlongs on the Aqueduct inner dirt track.