Tom Amoss pointing Mylute to the Grade II Risen Star Stakes

Sometimes his morning workouts look fine. Others are a head scratcher, such as the 51.00 four-furlong breeze he put in Friday.

“He’s hot and cold in the morning,” Amoss said. “He’s not a horse that works well alone. By himself, he’s not going to show anything.”

Whatever the 3-year-old colt turns out to be, whether Kentucky Derby contender or sprinter, his turn of foot has been impressive. He hasn’t won a stakes yet in four tries, but he comes off a 10 3/4th length win in an allowance race at the Fair Grounds on Dec. 26.

Amoss said he knows the colt has potential, but he’s willing to take it slow with him after starting him seven times as a 2-year-old. Mylute broke his maiden after three tries, and didn’t win again until his last race.

“He took a long time to come around mentally,” Amoss said.

 He skipped the Grade III Lecomte on Jan. 19 in favor of the Grade II Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 23. In hindsight, the move was probably a good idea, as D. Wayne Lukas’ colt Oxbow romped home 11 lengths ahead under veteran jockey Jon McCourt.

Rosie Napravnik, who rode him to his latest victory, won’t be on his back that day, however. Amoss said Napravnik will ride a yet-unnamed Todd Pletcher 3-year-old in the race, so he’ll make a jockey change.

“We’ll probably look for someone local,” Amoss said.