We’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times here at The Special.
We like tradition. From Jimmy Toner’s pillows, figure eights under the Clare Court trees, the bell ringer doing their job with 17 minutes to post and bleary eyed tourists coming out for morning works with coffee and bagels or making a mad dash for the picnic tables on a Saturday. And the Jeremiah Englehart Stable Tour in its usual spot, batting second.
“I’m really happy and lucky you still have me this early,” Englehart said this week after training from his barn office in the Oklahoma Annex.
Englehart led off the run of Stable Tours a few years back, a nod to his deep ties to New York and not long after making the move to nearby Schuylerville with his family.
The son of a trainer from a racing family with a long run of success at Finger Lakes, Englehart churns out a handful of winners every season at Saratoga Race Course. He saddled Maple Leaf Mel to victory in the 2022 Seeking The Ante, the same race he won in 2020 with Samborella. He also won that season’s Fleet Indian Stakes with Makingcents, giving the barn a double on Saratoga Showcase Day.
The barn leans toward New York-breds, especially this year’s crop of 2-year-olds that gives Englehart the usual optimism and trepidation that’s true to his profession all rolled into one.
“The young horses we have, it seems like they’re doing well,” Englehart said. “Then the 2s turning 3s have been positive, so hopefully they continue. Every year you kind of start out the same way. You’re either happy by the end or unhappy.”
So what would make him happy?
“I always try to set some sort of goal for myself by the beginning of the meet,” Englehart said. “I haven’t set my goal yet, because it’s changed. With horses, when you’re dealing with young horses, how do they handle each step to get to the races? Right now I’ve had a couple that don’t want to get past the gate issues. Every year it’s something different. You have to get past the baby issues with soundness, shins, the gate and anything else on the track that can spook them. If you would have asked me a month ago, I would say that collectively this is the best group of 2-year-olds that we have in the barn. The last couple days they’re making liars out of me. Not really ability wise, but bumps along the road. But still pretty exciting in general.”
Englehart, who was quick to credit his crew at the barn and at home for providing a foundation to the stable, kicks into high gear when he runs flashy New York-bred maiden winner Mo Plex in today’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes. He sat down with The Special’s Tom Law, who brought along first-year staffers Julia Reedy and Fin Maroney to learn the ropes.
Mo Plex
R and H Stable’s 2-year-old Complexity colt drew post 8 and is 6-1 on the morning line for today’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes. He showed up in the barn in April, impressed early and won his debut against fellow New York-breds by 10 lengths June 10 at Aqueduct. “We bought him, Legion and myself, in April. When he came in he showed he had a lot of ability. I know (consignor) Jesse Hoppel thought a lot of him at the sale. We got a pretty good price on him for $45,000. He was working very well going into the first race. His last breeze before this seems like he’s ready for the next step. Looks like a good, quality field. Hopefully he gives a good showing.”
Iron Max
Tom Thienel’s homebred 2-year-old New York-bred son of Caravaggio out of the unraced Alphabet Soup mare Royal Alpha. He breezed a half-mile Wednesday in :48.88 on the Oklahoma Training Track. “He was supposed to run July 7 but had some gate issues loading. He was good leaving there but haven’t had him load perfectly yet. He was also a little antsy inside there. There’s a race for him and I think he’ll be a turf horse. Seems like he has a lot of ability. Lorna (Chavez), she’s been a mainstay here with us, and she seems pretty high on him. That usually means good things for me. Sometimes they’ll make liars out of you but he’s a horse we’re really looking forward to running. The owner bred him, he was down in training at Travis Durr’s, he sent him up and I was lucky to get him. I’m looking forward to running him.”
Sir Kartrite
Two-year-old son of Maclean’s Music cost $195,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Out of the five-time winning Hennessy mare Water Of Life, he hasn’t breezed since early June. “He’s for Legion New York. We’re concentrating on New York-breds with this group. We bought four New York-bred colts to start with. The group includes Ken Ellis, Rich Flaherty and J. J. Gartland of Greyhound Stables. It’s a really good of people that are local or invested into Saratoga in some way. This is a colt that seems he could be one of those you could change the ‘NY’ at the end of his name to a ‘KY.’ Good looking colt, Probably second book. We had a little setback with him, an abscess that popped out of a hind foot, which took longer than I would have liked it to. A colt that has a lot of potential.”
Annexperience
Named with a nod to the location of Englehart’s string, 2-year-old New York-bred Instagrand colt cost Legacy Racing $165,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. “He seems like he has a lot of potential. First-year sire, kind of unproven but great physical and really athletic looking. He’ll be ready second book as well. A lot of potential.”
Omaha Pistol
Englehart’s JCE Racing bought Audible colt out of the Trappe Shot mare Gun Club for $50,000 as a yearling last September. “Recently gelded because he decided that he did not want to stop screaming at everything in sight. Early on he looked like he’d be the first one ready to go. Because of the gelding and a couple other issues mentally I had to push him back a bit to the second or third book. He’s been working right along with Sir Kartrite. I’m guessing a sprinter but looks early with plenty of potential.”
Toga Life
New York-bred 2-year-old colt by the red-hot Complexity sold for $13,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale and later as a yearling for $40,000. He breezed a half in company with Sunday Gilt Friday in :51.77 on the main track. “Most likely second or third book. He’s a horse that had very little page when we bought him in September. If he wins a race he makes the page. There was a lot of blank. Not much ink. He’s been working very well and we’re looking forward to running him. Another one we gelded. That’s the story of the year so far, we’ve gelded just about everything. Complexity, I wish I had a few more of them now.”
Alpine Giant
Two-year-old filly Speightstown is awaiting on her name. Bred by Old Tavern Farm and a $92,000 sale at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale, she was purchased privately after scratching from a sale in April. She’s out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Alpine Sky. “She’s for a partnership of Christopher Dunn, Chris Marra, Jonathan Sacks and Corrin Genovese. Real good group of people. I’m guessing she’s going to be turf. I was shooting for a race at the end of July. We’ve had her on the turf gallops and she seems to like doing it. When we’ve asked her to go fast she goes fast. I’m looking forward to her as well.”
Miss Welch
Buckle up. Social media savvy folks will know the name Hailey Welch. Tread lightly if you’re easily offended. Otherwise, Legion Bloodstock bought 2-year-old New York-bred daughter of Maclean’s Music for $190,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. “She was supposed to run on the 17th, but will probably push her back to a race on the 26th. She’s had some gate problems. The more I rush her the worse it will be for. She’s a very fast filly. I really thought she would be a win-first-out type and then point to the Seeking The Ante Stakes. We’ll see how timing works out with her. Being by Maclean’s Music, it’s hard to lose when you have them and they look as racy as she does. She’s named after the famous tik toker, Hailey Welch.
The conversation then turns from Tom, age 52, to The Special’s college interns Fin Maroney and Julia Reedy, who aren’t familiar with the name until given a little context.
“You guys know her at all? Hawk Tua. That’s Hailey Welch. And the filly is Miss Welch. I tried to reserve some names associated with that but could get them. I think The Jockey Club has me red-flagged. I tried Hawk Tua. I tried Hawk Utah, neither worked. They wouldn’t let me have it.”
Amber’s Answer
Legion Bloodstock spent $30,000 last October for 2-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Shancelot out of the unraced Empire Maker mare Empires Answer. “Legion bought her and sent up here for Saratoga. She had shown a lot of ability at the farm. Very fast. And she’s shown that up here, too. She’s an open horse but looks like she’ll be one that shouldn’t have any problem with the open 2-year-olds here in Saratoga.”
Bellacose
New York-bred filly by Audible out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Little Bullet cost $82,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. She’s entered in Wednesday’s third race, a New York-bred maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs. “She’s owned by Chris Dunn’s group, the same as Alpine Giant. Bellacose has been a pretty precocious filly. She’s gone through a couple different growing spurts as well. I’ve had to space her out a little bit but she could be first book. She reminds me of Lady Arwen when she broke her maiden up here. Very similar to her and hopefully she continues to grow up.”
Lil Breezzy
Two-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Tapiture scratched out of her planned debut June 14 at Aqueduct. “Joel (Rosario) scratched her behind the gate. She ended up with an infection in a hock. She’s lost a couple weeks but hopefully we’ll have her ready by the end of the meet. She was in against Danny Gargan’s nice Complexity filly (Complexion). I don’t know if I could have beaten her that day but she definitely would have ran well. Maybe second or third for sure.”
Sunday Gilt
R and H Stable’s homebred New York-bred 2-year-old son of Goldencents breezed a half in company with Toga Life in :51.77 Friday on the main track. “He came up here form Travis Durr’s and has progressed. I think he’ll want to go a little further. He has that makeup. Should be early as well. I’ve always been a big fan of Goldencents. Some of those sires you get horses that are the blue-collar horses and he’s one of them.”
Kyle’s Mom and Kyle’s Sister
The house horses. Kyle’s Mom is a 2-year-old daughter of Brody’s Cause who cost $2,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale. Kyle’s Sister is a 2-year-old Paynter filly who cost $14,000 at the sale auction. “Two fillies I’m very close to that I own myself. They’re named after a very good friend of mine, Kyle Zorn, and his mom and his sister. I’m real excited about them and I’m probably going to leave it at that. But I need to mention them. There will be a big group of people that will get a big kick out seeing Kyle’s Mom and Kyle’s Sister in The Saratoga Special. How can I describe Kyle? He’s a good friend and the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve only known him for about eight years. But as I’ve known him, we get closer and closer every year. I thought this would be a great tribute. Who knows, maybe we’ll have Kyle’s Aunt down the line. The two fillies have a cult following, around the barn, around the whole Northeast and all the way to the tip of Southern Florida. There are a lot of people anxious to see how they run. Kyle’s Mom, I watched her walk in the back ring and said, ‘I really like this filly.’ Something about her, I don’t know. Long story short, her half-sister (Divine Gal) ended up winning her first two starts. I told Kyle that this filly is going to end up being worth $1 million because I named her Kyle’s Mom. It hasn’t been anything like that yet because we’ve had some setbacks. It seems every time Kyle comes and visits I have a setback with them.”
En Fuega
A debut winner last fall at Aqueduct and seventh in the Tempted Stakes, 3-year-old New York-bred filly by Flameaway finished second in June 30 allowance at Aqueduct. “Good second. With her I want to lead her over there thinking she’d win, but a lot of horses I gave time to kind of needed a race. She’s going to run back on July 25, hopefully win that first-level allowance condition.”
Tricky Temper
Mark Stanley’s 3-year-old stakes winner finished third in the Bouwerie Stakes June 9 at Saratoga, her first start in almost six months. A debut winner here last August, daughter of Into Mischief won the Key Cents Stakes in mid-November at Aqueduct and finished second in open company in the Matron Stakes in early October. “We’ve been entering her for a New York-bred allowance that hasn’t gone. If it doesn’t go, I might try her open. She’s a filly, that from last year to this year, has probably made the best jump from 2 to 3. Just from what she shows in the morning. She’ll have a really nice 3-year-old campaign.”
Accidental Bid
Stanley’s 3-year-old by Nyquist cost $375,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky New York-bred yearling sale. He finished second in his debut June 15 at Aqueduct. The name? Just as you might guess … from last year’s Stable Tour:
“My client was doing online bidding and he meant to set his price at $250,000 and he made it mistake and added a zero and it was $2.5 million. We ended up getting the horse. He called me and said ‘we have good news and we have bad news. The good news is you got your horse. The bad news is I had to spend a little more than I wanted to.’ Mark is a great guy, from Kentucky and always has a couple New York-breds every year. We’re looking forward to this colt. He might not make the beginning of the meet. He’s still a little behind but he’s growing. May foal. He seems like he has a load of talent, we’ll just have to give him some time to get there.”
As for now
“We’ll look to run him here in the second book. They didn’t have a New York-bred long race that I liked in the first. He’s going to be one of those that as he gets older he’ll get better and better. He’s another that we gelded.”
Whittington Park
The veteran and another barn favorite. Ten Strike Racing’s 5-year-old stakes-winning son of Midnight Lute finished third in the Commentator Stakes June 9 at Saratoga. He’s won six of 20, including the Haynesfield Stakes in February before a fourth in the Grade 2 Carter Stakes, and earned $380,435. He was eligible for a Parx Racing allowance but Englehart opted not to enter, looking ahead to Saratoga, where he won as a 2-year-old in his second start. “The Commentator was a pace-less race that he just closed into. … We’ll hopefully look to come back in the Evan Shipman (August 9).”
Canigetaloan
Three-year-old New York-bred Leofric colt finished second in his debut last August at Saratoga then won the Aspirant Stakes in late September at Finger Lakes. He’s been off since with Englehart and owners Legion Racing, Peter Dorsman Racing, Spa City Stables and Christopher Dunn hopeful for a comeback. “I really wanted him for the Stallion Series Stakes, but he hurt his knee after the Aspirant. He’s been ready to run but I can’t get him to pass his 180-day test. On the track he looks great but on the end of the shank he doesn’t. We’re all over the map with him as far as what to do. We’ve re-x-rayed him. He’s a real talented colt. I’m hoping I can get him to where he looks healthy and ready to run. Every year you get a couple horses, whether it’s one work or a couple works. With Maple Leaf Mel, I kind of remember when Shaun (Bridgmohan) worked her from behind horses one time. Canigetaloan went out there in 1:14 (for 6 furlongs) on the Oklahoma by himself, galloped out strong. Mo Plex, galloped out last Sunday in 13 and change with his ears up. You’re looking for one of those works where you go ‘wow.’ Canigetaloan was one of them.”
Cut The Cord
Another house horse, with a bankroll. Englehart owns the 5-year-old Creative Cause gelding, who sports a record of 5-2-1 in 18 starts and earnings of $197,732. He won a $95,000 allowance at Saratoga last summer, setting off a celebration. “He’s a barn favorite. His groom Oscar DeJesus is a fantastic kid. I own him, so if he does well, the barn does well. He always has a close following. Special horse. He won last year up here when my whole family was here. Kendrick (Carmouche) does such a great job with him. Neat horse. Kind of reminds me of the very first horse we teamed up with. Probably back in 2001 or 2002, 22 years ago when I first met Kendrick at Charles Town. He rode a horse for me named Good Man Sam (99 starts, 17 wins and $375,325 in earnings). These two horses are so much alike. It’s a lot of fun. He’s been great, a real cool horse.”
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