Tom Amoss, who saddled his first winner nearly four decades ago, will step away from head training duties next month, he announced Monday night.
Amoss, 64, announced on his social media profiles that he would step down from head training duties effective April 1, handing off his stable to assistant Kinnon LaRose. Amoss plans to remain involved with the barn in an advisory role.
“I’m proud to share that my assistant Kinnon LaRose will be taking the reins and become the trainer of record for the barn,” Amoss wrote on social media. “He deserves it. I’ve watched him grow into an incredibly talented horseman as he’s worked by my side for the last six years. I will get as much joy watching Kinnon win races as I would if I were the trainer.”
LaRose joined the Amoss barn in 2020, after graduating from college. He won the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Newcomer Award last fall.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the foundation Tom has built and the trust he’s placed in me,” LaRose wrote on social media following Amoss’s announcement. “His legacy is something I deeply respect, and I’m committed to carrying that forward while continuing to grow the stable. I’m excited for what’s ahead and thankful for this next chapter.”
According to Equineline statistics, Amoss has saddled 4,276 winners to date, the first of those coming in 1987. He ranks 13th on the all-time list in victories. His career earnings total $132,530,723, which is 19th on the all-time list.
“Nearly 40 years later, I look back on my career with pride and gratitude,” Amoss wrote. “The countless memories, friendships, and opportunities that horse racing gave me will always be a part of who I am. None of my success as a trainer would’ve been possible without the people that I work with, both past and present. I’m especially appreciative of the owners that put their trust in me. Thank you doesn’t come close to expressing my gratitude.”
Amoss’s top runners included 2019 Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress, who earned more than $2.1 million. Also adept around one turn, her six stakes victories also included the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes. Showing her versatility, she was third in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and second in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
Amoss also trained Heritage of Gold to win the Grade 1 Apple Blossom and Grade 1 Go for Wand in 2020, and Big World to win the Grade 1 La Troienne in 2017.
Overall, Amoss trainees have won 368 stakes to date. LaRose inherits an operation that already in 2026 has won the Ozark Stakes at Oaklawn with Oscar’s Hope, and overnight stakes at Delta Downs with Authentic Gallop and Sweet Note.
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