Amoss Gives Public Insider's View of Serengeti Empress

Even as he watched a race unfold that would lead to the biggest victory of his 30-plus-year training career, Tom Amoss' attention turned to a more important matter.

Amoss, who saddled Joel Politi's Serengeti Empress to victory in the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 3 at Churchill Downs, took his eye off his frontrunning filly early in the 1 1/8-mile race at Churchill Downs to check on the health of Positive Spirit and her jockey, Manuel Franco, after the pair fell a few steps out of the gate when they clipped heels with Jaywalk.

As Serengeti Empress opened a clear lead in the first turn, Amoss watched as the loose Positive Spirit was safely corralled and Franco was able to walk off the track.

"I saw a horse go down. I did not look at my horse anymore. I was looking at that horse. I saw she got up and she was OK, and the rider got up," Amoss said. "And then I put my focus back on my horse."

About six weeks earlier, it was Serengeti Empress who drew the concern of Amoss, her connections, other horsemen, and fans when she stopped as the favorite in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and was vanned off the track after suffering exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding). In the days that followed, there was little thought of the first Friday in May.

"The first thing we talked about repetitively the day after the Fair Grounds Oaks, Tom and I stood in the barn and said we're not under any pressure to run in the (Kentucky) Oaks," Politi said. "We were both very resolute in that we were not going to run in the Kentucky Oaks under any pressure or push just to run in this race.

"We took it day by day. And she's an incredible athlete, and she showed it every day in the morning. And Tom and I have talked on the phone and texted to the point where we've got a direct line," Politi said. "And she told us that she was fine repetitively along the way. And if she wasn't, the both of us were very committed to not running." 

Daugherty: Serengeti Empress Captures Kentucky Oaks

Initially after the Fair Grounds Oaks, Amoss didn't think Serengeti Empress would be able to race in the Kentucky Oaks. For concerned fans, he wanted to post a video to prove the 3-year-old filly was all right. That would turn out to provide Amoss with additional information about her progress. He wanted to gallop her five furlongs to show fans her good health, but the exercise rider misunderstood the instructions and she galloped by the camera twice.

"I just did it because I wanted to get video of her so people could see I wasn't hiding anything from anybody about her health," Amoss said. "I took the video and I sat up there, and all of a sudden she came around again. He misunderstood my instructions and went an extra mile. And when she came around the second mile, she—her ears were (twitching). It was fate, you know?

"Look, horses talk. And she talked to me that morning and said, you know, 'I'm going to be OK.' And if my exercise rider hadn't made that mistake that day, I was getting ready to call Joel and say, 'Let's just leave the race alone.' But when she came back around and looked as good as she did, I went back to the barn and I changed my mind, and we took it day to day from there."

Fortunately, Serengeti Empress was just fine, as were initial reports Friday evening on Positive Spirit. American Association of Equine Practitioners on-call veterinarian Dr. Al Ruggles said Positive Spirit was able to walk back to the barn, and he complimented the outriders for quickly catching her before she reached the clubhouse turn.

In light of the rash of catastrophic breakdowns in Southern California this winter, Amoss took time to document his filly's progress through videos and updates on social media. He thought it was important to educate fans and the public about the care Thoroughbreds receive. 

"Look, it's no secret that our industry is facing at least what I consider a moment, a big moment, that can go one of two ways," Amoss said. "And as far as I'm concerned, with my horses and the racing public as well as the general public, I want to give as much information as I can out there. I want everyone to know what I'm doing, why I'm doing it. 

"And certainly there were some naysayers after the Fair Grounds Oaks that thought Serengeti Empress shouldn't run in the Kentucky Oaks after a bleeding episode. So I thought it was very important to document everything that we did.

"And I think that's the new world of racing. I think we're going to see more and more of that. There's nothing wrong with being transparent. I'm all for it."

As Amoss said, horses talk. And with Serengeti Empress, he invited everyone in to listen.