Features

Jeremiah Englehart settled into new digs this spring – personally and professionally – and his stable is off to a familiar start at the Saratoga meet. 

The Casse Racing operation is in the midst of another strong year in 2018 – a 12th consecutive  season with $5 million in purse earnings already and most likely a fifth straight year with more than $10 million – and Mark Casse believes things can continue to improve.

The Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour enters its fourth year in 2018 and Todd Pletcher, the leadoff batter for the daily series in 2015 and 2016, returns to that spot after taking down his 13th training crown at the 2017 Saratoga Race Course meeting. 

When Bit Of A Legend returns to Saratoga Raceway Saturday night to defend his title in the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace, he will do so under the ownership of Von Knoblauch Stable. While the Von Knoblauch name is familiar to harness racing fans and is the same name Bit Of A Legend has raced under since arriving in the U.S. in 2016, it now carries a new meaning.

I knew as soon as I sent the money to buy into Orchestra Leader, I was in trouble.

Duck Butter, a horse bred by Hobeau farm and named after an old groom who worked for Allen Jerkens, started it at Aqueduct back in December 1989. Trained by Bobby Lake, the 3-year-old ran in a $20,000 claimer with a new-to-New-York jockey aboard.

There is no shortage of intelligent people that can give you thorough, insightful analysis of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes from any angle imaginable. You’re not reading one of them. I’m the Haiku Handicapper.