Jerry Caroom was asked how it felt to lead Oaklawn owners in races won, whether his run of success would continue and where he might place a championship trophy if he receives one May 6.
The Hot Springs native and Lakeside High graduate said modestly, "I figure it will take 25 wins and I'm halfway there." About the trophy, Caroom said, "I don't have one yet but I'll find a place if necessary."
That was before the owner's third victory Friday and meet-high 12th. After two wins for Robertino Diodoro, Caroom completed a natural hat trick with Mozingo for trainer Tom Amoss in the featured eighth race, a $103,000 "non-winners of two" allowance for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares 3 and up.
Completing a triple also for jockey Cristian Torres, who along with Diodoro leads the standings after 40 racing days, Mozingo scored her second career victory and first since debuting in June at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Seventh in her local bow Jan. 27 (she turned 3 by the calendar the next day), the filly improved to fourth against state-bred maidens Feb. 18, showing early speed for the first time since her first race.
Never worse than fourth, Mozingo made a four-wide move on the turn and prevailed by a neck against Shortleaf Stable's Gramercy Park and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. A homebred trained by Louisiana-based Tom Amoss, the winner paid $18.60, $8.60 and $5.60 in a possible prep for the $150,000 Rainbow Miss April 8. She ran the Rainbow distance of six furlongs in a fast-rated 1:11.71 from outside post 10.
Caroom is enjoying his best Oaklawn season in victories, his career including stakes wins locally with Hoonani Road and Tempt Fate. He scored 10 wins, four with Tempt Fate, in the 2021 meet and seven in the elongated 2021-22 campaign. He calls seven-time winner Hoonani Road the best horse he has raced, buying the horse off local breeder Bobby Lee Hall upon advice of late Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg.
Carl Deville also trains for Caroom, whose first horses (including Hoonani Road) were handled by Wayne Catalano. His brother Scotty, also a Lakeside grad, has a small string of horses and is fairly active at the claiming box. "He might have just claimed this one (but didn't)," Jerry said after Secret Fix won Race 7 Friday. Diodoro claimed Secret Fix from the 2021 summer-meet opener at Del Mar in Southern California.
Caroom owns XtraLight, a Houston-based company that designs, creates, invents and manufactures energy-efficient LED and traditional lighting.