Salutos Amigos Returns Home for G3 Tom Fool at Aqueduct

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – David Jacobson and Southern Equine Stable’s Salutos Amigos will face 10 others on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack as he aims to defend his title in a competitive edition of the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for older horses at six furlongs.

Back at the Big A following a pair of runner-up finishes in California, the 6-year-old Salute the Sarge gelding is still looking to get back to the winner’s circle for the first time since last summer. Last year, the bay gelding strung together a trio of six-furlong victories over the inner track, culminating in a four-length score in the Tom Fool, where he earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 110.

Installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite, Salutos Amigos will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez from post 9.

Jacobson will also send Stallwalkin’ Dude with co-owners Head of Plains Partners for his seasonal unveiling. The City Place gelding closed out 2015 with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park, following a game score in the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit on December 5.

Stallwalkin’ Dude, 5-1 on the morning line, will leave from post 8 with Manny Franco in the irons.

Two-time Grade 1 Carter hero Dads Caps will be making his third start in the Tom Fool for Aqueduct leading trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Vince Scuderi’s homebred son of Discreet Cat finished seventh in the Grade 3 Toboggan on January 30 at the Big A, the horse’s first start since June.

Set as the second choice on the morning line at 4-1, Dads Caps will have the services of the current leading rider Jose Ortiz. The pair will break from post 5.

Trainer Chris Englehart has three on tap for the Tom Fool, led by Toboggan runner-up Mewannarose. In the Toboggan, the Florida-bred Bwana Charlie gelding pressed the pacesetting Green Gratto but couldn’t hold off Sassicaia’s late charge, finishing a neck behind the winner at 46-1.

Englehart is also set to saddle Nubin Ridge, winner of an optional claiming event at the Tom Fool distance in January, and Angry Moon, a last-out wire-to-wire winner over the inner track on February 28. Nubin Ridge and Mewannarose are exiting a first-level allowance race on February 25, where the duo fell victim to fellow Tom Fool entrant Alex the Terror.

Chris DeCarlo has the return call aboard Mewannarose. At 10-1 on the morning line, the pair will leave from post 7. John Bisono picks up the mount on 20-1 Nubin Rose, set to leave from post 6, while Kendrick Carmouche is set to ride Angry Moon, 12-1 on the morning line, from post 2.

Rounding out the field for the Tom Fool are recent inner-track allowance winner Spartiatis for trainer Leon Blusiewicz; Florida-bred Always Sunshine, winner of the Dave’s Friend last December at Laurel Park for trainer Edward Allard; 4-year-old allowance winner Alex the Terror for John Toscano; Waco, making his first start since finishing ninth in the Grade 3 Phoenix on October 2 at Keeneland for Jimmy Bond; and the winner of the New York Stallion Series’ Thunder Rumble division, Loki’s Vengeance, making his 2016 debut for Mike Hushion.
The field for the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap:

Source: NYRA