'Salutos' Storms From Last for Tom Fool Win

David Jacobson and Southern Equine Stable's Salutos Amigos completed a scintillating last-to-first rally to win the $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap (gr. III) for the second consecutive year March 12 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

A 6-year-old Salute the Sarge gelding ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, Salutos Amigos dashed down the center of the track for a decisive victory over Always Sunshine and finished six furlongs in 1:10.17 on a fast track. 

 

Back at Aqueduct after a pair of runner-up finishes in Southern California stakes, Salutos Amigos snapped a seven-race winless stretch dating from a triumph last June in the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park. The bay gelding strung together a trio of six-furlong victories over Aqueduct's inner track in 2015 that culminated in a four-length score in the Tom Fool last March.

 

Dads Caps towed the field through a quick half mile in :44.99 with Mewannarose in close pursuit. Stallwalkin' Dude, the winner's stablemate, was up from fourth to lead into the stretch but Salutos Amigos closed furiously to take over with a sixteenth to run and won 2 1/2 lengths. Always Sunshine split horses and looked to lead a sixteenth out but Salutos Amigos was too strong.

 

"(I was a) little surprised (he was so far back) but that was the plan," Jacobson said of Salutos Amigos, who was last nine lengths behind the leaders through a :22.36 opening quarter. "We wanted to let him make that one big run that he does so well and he did it." 

 

Trained by Jacobson, Salutos Amigos paid $4.80, $3, and $2.70 across the board, Always Sunshine returned $7.80 and $5.30, and Stallwalkin' Dude was third to return $6.

 

After last year's win in the Mr. Prospector, Salutos Amigos shipped to Dubai for the Golden Shaheen (UAE-I) and finished eighth of 13 runners. 

 

Jacobson said a return to Meydan Racecourse for the March 26 race is a possibility.

 

"That'll be a phone call I'll have to make to Mike Moreno, but it's in the cards, let's put it that way."

 

Bred in Kentucky by Joan Hadley Thoroughbreds from the Argentine-bred Luhuk mare Sarasota, Salutos Amigos has 11 wins from 36 career starts, including three other stakes victories: 2015 Toboggan Stakes (gr. III) and 2014 Bold Ruler Handicap and Fall Highweight Handicap, both gr. III.

 

Mewannarose checked in fourth, followed by Nubin Ridge, Spartiatis, Loki's Vengeance, Angry Moon, Dads Caps, Alex the Terror, and Waco to complete the order of finish.