Jeremiah Englehart allowed doubt to creep in last week.
“I went from, probably the day before, wondering if I was going to win a race during the meet,” Englehart said Wednesday morning, watching a set train on the Oklahoma Training Track not far from his usual spot across Fifth Avenue in the Oklahoma Annex. “I thought I had a good shot with Kyle’s Mom. That didn’t work out when he finished third as the favorite.
“Then Neigh Baby turned out to be a pleasant surprise the very next race. … He was kind of an in-betweener. The racing office kind of hustled me into the race. I had a different race planned for him, but his race, the distance was about right.”
Neigh Baby won a maiden special weight at 6 1/2 furlongs July 5 to put Englehart on the board and ease some of that doubt. Bellacose added a second win for Englehart and his team a week later and with more runners to come – including a pair today late in the card – the vibe feels much more positive around the Annex.
The stable leans heavy on young horses, including a draft owned by the Legion Racing-led Saratoga 1864 partnership group. In addition to Legion, the partners consist of several owners that include Ken Ellis’ Echo Racing, Rich Flaherty, Susan Naylor, Art Berry, Stephen Lovelette, Jonathan Sax’s and Corinne Genovese’s GenSax Racing and others.
“Last year they were the Saratoga group and the year before that we just called it Legion Racing New York Group,” Englehart said. “We came up with the name this year because 1863 was the first year of racing in Saratoga and 1864 was actually the first year of racing on the track track, where it’s located now.”
They’re far from the only group of owners with runners in the barn, with several longtime supporters and other newcomers in the mix.
“I’m blessed as far as clients go or associated with here in the barn,” Englehart said.
Englehart, the winner of 1,911 races since taking out his license in 2003, went through the Saratoga contingent Wednesday morning with The Special’s Tom Law and Taylor Barraclough.
Fitton Field: Owned by the Saratoga 1864 group, 2-year-old Yaupon colt cost $300,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He’s breezed six times at Saratoga, including a half in :48.56 on the main track July 5.
“He has all the tools. He’s kind of a kid still. He hasn’t really figured out how to be competitive yet. I’m not sure if he’s not turf. It seems like I’m finding out that a lot of these horses this year might be turf, synthetic. He’s a horse that we’re kind of excited for, probably will make like the second or third book up here.”
Seismic Activity: Another member of the Saratoga 1864 group, 2-year-old daughter of Epicenter finished seventh in her debut Thursday going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf.
“Really pretty Epicenter filly that we bought out of the same sale. We feel like she’s going to be grass. I don’t think she’s going to want to sprint on the grass. She’s going to want to go further. Just giving her this race to start off with. She’s going to be a horse that’s definitely going to want to have more, more distance. I always listen to what Maggie says in the paddock, and Acacia, to kind of get a gauge on where I think they are and where they think they are with just looking at them. She’s got a chance to be a pretty nice filly, she’s just going to develop. I don’t feel like the goal with her is ‘let’s go out and try to win this race first time.’ Obviously we want to win every race, but I think watching her mature along through the races, if she closes in and does some running, it’s going to set her up for her next start and starts after that.”
Father Rick: A $195,000 purchase out of the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale who later brought $225,000 in March, 2-year-old Drain The Clock colt breezed a half in :50.55 Friday on the main track in his fifth work in Saratoga.
“He’s for Mike Levin and Legacy Racing. Most likely will make the third book up here. Kind of really like big, pretty Drain The Clock. The Drain The Clocks look like they’ve been pretty precocious, at the sales and what they’ve done kind of early on. Hopefully this guy develops into what we think he can be. Kind of a big colt.”
Mindee’s World: Legacy Racing’s 2-year-old daughter of Yaupon cost $210,000 in April. She finished fourth in a maiden race at Saratoga June 4.
“We ran her up here Belmont Week. I actually thought that she was going to run very well. She ran OK. She kind of surprised me because she’s been very quick out of the gate and she’s been very quick early. That race, she kind of just stayed where she was. Kendrick (Carmouche) rode her and said, ‘she was just kind of feeling things out.’ He didn’t feel like she gave him everything that she had. We’ll run her back in the second or third book up here. There’s a race Aug. 1 for her to come back in. She should be very tough depending on who’s in that next that next race. She’s doing well.”
Harlow Drive: Legacy Racing spent $120,000 for daughter of Maclean’s Music at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale.
“I actually really like this filly. I’m not 100 percent sure if she’s dirt or turf. My rider and I go back and forth on her every week when she breezes. This week she was dirt, so that was good music to my ears. She’s a pretty talented filly. I’m looking forward to getting her to the races. There’s a race possibly for her Aug. 9, which is turf, so now I might have to change that. I’ll probably start her on the grass first. She’s a filly that we’re kind of high on.”
Annexperience: Now a three-time member of the Englehart Stable Tour, Legacy Racing’s 4-year-old Instagrand sports a record of 2-4-1 in nine starts with $173,400 in earnings. A $165,000 buy out of the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, he bids for third win in today’s 10th, a 1-mile state-bred optional claimer on the main track.
“We are going to put him back on the dirt. Kendrick really wants to run him a mile and an eighth or a mile and a half. But we got him in going a flat mile. I don’t know, maybe he’ll show up. He kind of surprised me. I thought his last race on the turf, he would have ran a lot better. He had that big number on the sloppy track that he won the 1X New York-bred race (April 25 at Aqueduct). We’re going to give him a shot now on the dirt. He’ll probably make a fool out of me and run really well on the dirt. I wasted all this time on the turf with him. He’s doing really well. Hopefully he gets to run his race on Saturday and gets us to the winner’s circle.”
Neigh Baby: Owned by Greyhound Stable, Blue Tarp NY Racing, MCM Racing, Christopher Dunn, Foamy Tap Stables and WGAS Two, 3-year-old Omaha Beach colt put the barn in the win column with victory at 14-1 July 5.
“He had a really good setup. Jaime (Rodriguez) did a fantastic job with him that day to get that win. He’s still eligible for the starter allowance, so I can come back and run him back in the starter and hopefully run well. Getting that win with him up here was pretty special. … Just a really good group on that horse. It’s a lot of fun with people like that. It’s very rewarding. A lot of people like winning at Saratoga, but it’s special when you can win for a group like that. It’s been a long process to get them there.”
Nevah Bettah: Greyhound and Dunn spent $18,000 for Global Campaign gelding at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.
“I actually think he’s going to be, by the end of the year, one of my best 2-year-olds. We had his half-sister (Jess Ez Girl) up here last year, and she had to be euthanized because of a hock infection. She went over to the clinic and didn’t make it back. I saw him down at the sale, with Legion. We really liked him. He’s a very immature horse. He’s going be a late bloomer. We’re pretty close to getting to be able to start working him back here. We’re just waiting for his knees to close a little bit more. I’m really excited for him and for that group. “
“I say that he could be the best, but trust me, I’m usually always wrong. In the year I had Mo Plex, I said Iron Max and another one that didn’t make it were the best. Iron Max made it to the races. … Erica sent me this picture of the other horse. He did win, but it wasn’t a race. He won a sporting event. Late Night Boss, he won his first horse show. So, he got a win. They sent me a photo. Those are two that I thought were going to be better than Mo Plex and of course I was wrong. I’m probably putting the hex on Nevah Bettah right now. He’s one of those horses who’s got a real pretty way of getting over the track. Kind of excited for him. The fact that it was only an $18,000 purchase too kind of makes it that much better. Those are the diamonds in the rough that you try to find. Being a half-brother to the filly that we really liked last year by Rock Your World, just makes it much more special.”
Wildest Dreams: Karl and Kim Seitz’s 2-year-old Drain The Clock filly cost $40,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. She finished fourth in her debut going 5 1/2 furlongs June 18 at Aqueduct.
“She got pretty tired, pretty green, but I think like her best races are going to be in front of her here pretty soon. She’s a filly that I thought she could have been easily that first-out winner, but sometimes the circumstances of the race, there was a real strong headwind coming down the stretch which kind of made her get tired even more so than she was going to get. Coming out of that race, she’s going to be one a nice New York-bred filly. Hopefully she can win next out and then maybe make the Seeking The Ante.”
Cadillac Mary: Owned by Englehart, Ashley Durr, Jesse Englehart and Austin Reed, 2-year-old filly by Golden Pal cost $5,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale.
“Travis (Durr) and I bought her last year. We were kind of shocked that’s all we had to spend for her. She ran third first time out (June 12). She caught a really nice field. If I’m not mistaken, George Weaver’s filly (Ghost Me) came back to win a stakes at Woodbine on July 12. … And then Graham Motion’s filly (Mary’s Gunna Run) came back and (finished third July 10 at Saratoga). Cadillac Mary just had a horrendous trip. Those are going to be two nice horses. That’s my kind of price right there. That’s what I can afford. She’s going to want to go further too. I might have to run her back 5 1/2 on the turf one more time before I can get a long New York-bred race to go. She’s one that I co-own with my cousin Austin, my brother and we named her after my grandma Mary Reed, who used to drive nothing but Cadillacs. They were always used. She never bought a new Cadillac. She would always just find them used and we called her Cadillac Mary.”
Plenty of Mischief: Owned by a partnership that includes Stony Point Stables and bred by Chester and Mary Broman, 2-year-old New York-bred daughter of Life Is Good is out of the stakes-placed Empire Maker mare Empire Gal. She’s breezed eight times, including a half from the gate in :48.55 July 12.
“She’s going to be a very, very nice filly. She kind of got outworked a couple times out of the gate when I worked her with Secret Connection, which kind of made me have to flip-flop. I ran Secret Connection first, and Plenty of Mischief will now be in the next New York-bred maiden race coming back. She’s been working her way kind of to the head of the class as far as her works go. Her last gate work was good against a nice horse. Her two before that were kind of tardy, which kind of messed up the work a little bit.”
Stretchin Thetruth: Legion spent $50,000 for New York-bred son of New York sire Honest Mischief in April. Also owned by the same group behind Plenty of Mischief, he’s out of the Empire Maker mare Agent Romanoff. “He’s a colt that’s kind of been a little bit behind some of these other ones, but I think when we get him figured out and able to do some work, he’s going to be a nice colt. There’s going be some turf influence there. He’s Empire Maker on the bottom side, but definitely seems like one that’s kind of might be late meet, fall type of horse.”
Cartridge: New York-bred Maxfield colt cost $75,000 out of last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucy October yearling sale. He’s out of the three-time-winning Desert Party mare Tent City.
“We had to do a throat surgery on him but since then he’s been pretty spot on. I got him up to about two half-miles here before we did the throat surgery, and then he just came back. He’s going to work again this weekend. He’s going to want to go further. He’s a big, good-looking Maxfield that we’re kind of hoping will make a little splash at the end of the meet or in the fall.”
Pretty Boy Miah: Three-year-old Beau Liam gelding gave Englehart and his team a shot on the big stage when he ran in this year’s Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. He finished last of 14 for owners Team Penney Racing, Echo Racing, Flower City Racing, Anthony Bruno and Christopher Meyer, but sports two wins and two placings in six starts. He finished third in July 3 allowance race here. Englehart sees that race and the Preakness as teaching tools.
“I learned that he probably doesn’t want to go that far. And I also learned that I ran him back way too quick off of two big efforts. He probably needs more time in between his races. So that’s what I learned.
“There’s a little bit of distance limitation with him. I think seven-eighths, flat mile will be right in his wheelhouse. Ricardo (Santana Jr.) actually told us in that race he thought he had the winner measured, but he just didn’t want to go that far. There’s a race back for him, a 1X coming back for him going seven-eighths. He’s got a chance to develop into a small stakes horse by the end this year.”
How about the Preakness experience as a whole, just being a trainer and getting to be in that, in that, in that moment?
“It definitely makes me realize that I probably I don’t shoot for stuff like that enough. I’m very conservative. I guess I probably feel like if I’m going to be running in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont, et cetera, et cetera, I’d rather be 5-1 than, you know, 40-1, 80-1. But then I look at like horses like Ocelli, or other horses that have won in the past being longshots. Those type of races, it’s more about the experience. Of course you want to win, you want to run well, but I think with, with, you know, talking to owners and, and clients like about, you know, the week and stuff, like it was a lot of fun building up, you know, building up to it. It’s strange because we deal with a lot of young horses every year, and it’s a goal to develop them and try to have nice ones, but those races are pretty special.”
How about Shirl and Mary Ann Penney, are they new owners for you or back in the fold?
“It started probably about 8 years ago, then we took a little hiatus from busting on each other. Actually a few years ago, I just asked him, and I don’t ever say things like this, ‘what made you have this guy as your trainer as opposed to me?’ We went and had a nice long conversation about it. He goes, you’re there on Fifth Avenue. You’re working with young horses, developing horses. Owners want to come out that are local. And that’s really kind of what I’ve done. He started that for me about four or five years ago, like really trying to concentrate on the owner experience. Being that we’re right here, it’s easy access, like, ‘come see your horses.’ We want everyone to be involved and it’s kind of worked out really well. He’s come back and we’ve bought horses together.”
Bamboozie: Team Penney’s unraced 3-year-old Charlatan colt worked a half from the gate in :48.55 July 12.
“Hasn’t started yet but he’s been working well. He was with Bruce Jackson down in Maryland. Bruce sent him up here to me and was kind of like, ‘I don’t really know what to expect from him,’ but since he’s come up here he’s been one, if not my best, work horse that hasn’t run yet. We’re kind of looking forward. I’m not sure if he’s turf or dirt either, but there are a couple spots, mid-August, that we’re looking at for him. I really do think he’s got a shot of being a really nice horse. He’s been working like he’s a real horse.
She’s Fast Money: Phil Hager’s Taproot Bloodstock bought 2-year-old Central Banker New York-bred filly for $50,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale.
“She seems like she’s going to be just that. She’s very fast. She’s been working very well. She’ll probably make a race around mid-August. She’s going to make a little noise up here when she’s ready. She was a little slow out of the gate, which kind of affected her last work, but I’m expecting her to sharpen up as we get closer to her race.”
Upstart-Critical Value colt: Homebred 2-year-old for Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders – who campaigned New York-bred champion Critical Value – he’s the first foal out of the Bodemeister mare who banked $303,795.
“He just came in. He’s fighting a little bit of a shin right now. I’ve dealt with everything here this spring. Shins, soft tissue stuff. We’ve already sent a bunch back to the farm. He reminds me a little bit like of his mom. He’s very, I would guess, spicy. That would be the word I would use. When he starts getting into a regular pattern of coming up to the races, he’ll be one that will show that he’s got some talent. He likes to run and the Upstarts I’ve had before, they seem like they want to run. It’s just a matter of A, keeping them sound; and B, keeping them healthy in the head as well. The mare side probably doesn’t help that either because Critical Value was difficult to deal with at times.”
Rockin Red: New York-bred 2-year-old Rock Your World colt brought $50,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale and $35,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. Owned by Wadhams Thoroughbred Racing and Rich Spiesman.
“I kind of like this colt. He’s a Rock Your World for a new client, their first horse. … He’s another one who was battling a shin when he first came from the sale. Now we’ve been able to get him going a little bit. He’ll make this last book, but he’s a horse that I’m kind of excited to see. He’s got a real pretty way of going, loves to train. He’s got a real nice mind and kind of just looks like a horse that you’d see in the winner’s circle someday.”
Party In The Army: Homebred for Flower City Racing, Meyer and Spiesman, multiple stakes-placed 3-year-old Army Mule colt makes his second appearance in the Stable Tour. He won one of five starts last year, placing in a pair of stakes at Finger Lakes. He won again Jan. 11, went to the sidelines and returned with a third in the Mike Lee Stakes June 3 at Saratoga.
“I was going to enter him in that 2X last week, but I just didn’t love the breeze. I wasn’t sure why. We went over him afterwards. I don’t know if I can just attribute it to the heat that morning, because ever since then he’s been spot on. I decided to skip that race.
“He developed into what I thought he would be throughout the winter. He needed a knee surgery over the winter after his last race. Dr. Patty Hogan thought that that would be good after that, gave him a really good prognosis, and he’s been great. We haven’t had any issues with him other than just that one work where I wasn’t sure really what was going on. Like I said, kind of attributed to the heat. That New York-bred class of sprinters, that’s a tough group of horses. That Mike Lee was very difficult. I think I’ve won that race three times, and I dont know if any of those horses would have won this year’s against Sculcos Folly.”
Humble Hero: Mark Stanley, who campaigned the Englehart-trained New York-bred stakes winner Tricky Temper, went to $165,000 for this 2-year-old Olympiad colt at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale. He’s out of the Grade 3-winning Rock Hard Ten mare Summersault.
“Niall Brennan, he broke him this winter, sent him up here. He’s actually a really nice New York-bred. Again, very immature. You look at him today and you look at him from three months from now and he’s going to look completely different. He will probably make the end of the meet up here and be one that by the fall we’re going to hear about. I’m not sure if he’s turf either. We did take him out on the turf gallops a couple times and he seemed like he enjoyed it.”
Secret Connection: Bona Venture Stable’s 2-year-old Connect filly finished eighth in debut July 11. A New York-bred, she’s out of the four-time-winning Flatter mare Very Charming.
“I actually thought would run very, very well first time out, but kind of got mid-pack and just stayed. She really didn’t push on or encourage herself to move from where she was. I do feel like as she stretches out and is able to learn what we’re asking her to do, by the end of this summer, she’ll be a pretty nice filly. She was working extremely well going into that race.”
Sail With The Wind: Also owned by Bona Venture, 6-year-old New York-bred Astern mare sports 3-3-4 record in 15 starts and earnings of $237,858.
“She might be the favorite in the barn. When she came here she had some screws put in her pastern from Dr. Patty Hogan. She’s stringhalt in both hocks. I tell you, hasn’t missed a day of training. She’s super sweet. She’s won her last two races We’re very excited for the Yaddo with her this year. Might give her one shot in an a-other-than before that, or go right into that race depending on how she’s doing. Super excited for her and those connections for the Yaddo.”
Is Bona Venture a new or returning client, too?
“You want to hear a funny story? I started training for Dan and Sarah (Collins) up at Finger Lakes when I was stabled there. Leah Gyarmati sent me a horse and the very first time Sarah came to the races up there I met her and was in the paddock. You know how you go give someone a hug or a kiss on the cheek? I went to kiss Sarah on the cheek, and like she went this way and I went this way. We kind of met in the middle, so it was more of a lip, lip, uh, exchange. I was like, ‘whoa, sorry about that.’ It’s always like the running joke between us, like, ‘I’m going this way, you’re going that way.’ Just super, super, super people. Hopefully we can have a couple wins for them up here. I’m blessed as far as clients go or associated with here in the barn.”
Daylight Dreamer: Entered in today’s finale for owners Legion, GenSax, Flash Toga Farm, Echo Racing and Lovelette. She’s winless in three starts and drew post seven of nine in 5 ½-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight on the turf.
“She’s from the Saratoga group from last year. Her last race kind of surprised me a little bit (11th in 6-furlong turf maiden). Kendrick was really high on her in her second in the maiden special weight down at Aqueduct. I’m going to put a line through that last race and get her back going in the right direction.”
Galicat: Legion and Englehart went to $160,000 for son of New York-based sire Galilean at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale. He’s out of the stakes-winning Tale Of The Cat mare Tiger Cat Lilly.
“When we get him to the grass or synthetic, toward the end of this meet or fall, he’s going to be really nice. At least he trains like it, let’s put it that way.”
Vote Now: Owned by Rick Higgins’ and Howard Reed’s R and H Stable, 2-year-old Early Voting filly cost $50,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She’s breezed three times, but not since 3 furlongs in :37.30 June 20.
“She’s a really, really nice filly that we’re very excited about. She’s probably going to make either mid-August or early in that late third book. When it’s all said and done, she could easily become the best horse I have in the barn. She’s a big filly that I don’t think is done growing, and I think that’s why I’ve had to start and stop on her. She’s very, very talented.”
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