Trainer Jeremiah Englehart with trainee New York-bred Bellacose. Photo credit: Susie Raisher
By Teresa Genaro
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart started this summer’s Saratoga meet about as well as one could expect: he won with a two-year-old, with his first starter of the meet, in a graded stakes, and in one of Saratoga’s most historic races, the Sanford Stakes, which has been won by horses like More Than Ready, City Zip, Afleet Alex, and Firenze Fire.
Four days later, he was back in the winner’s circle with Bellacose, another two-year-old, this one a filly that romped in her first start, a maiden special weight that she won by 10 3/4 lengths.
Both of Englehart’s juveniles are New York-breds, as is Iron Max, who was a fast-closing fourth in a MSW on July 24, and as a New York native who grew up near Finger Lakes, in a horse racing family, Englehart knows well the advantages of racing New York-breds.
Among the standout New York-breds he’s trained are graded stakes winners Pat On The Back, Maple Leaf Mel, King Kreesa, and Sandy’z Slew.
“I’ve got about 16 New York-bred two-year-olds in the barn now,” said Englehart, sitting in his office of his Saratoga barn, located off Fifth Avenue in the Annex. “That’s a few more than we’ve had in the last couple of years. Through Legion Bloodstock and some of the partnerships we’ve formed, we’ve been able to branch out. At yearling and two-year-old sales, we’ve been concentrating on New York-breds.”
While Englehart has enjoyed graded stakes success with horses bred in New York, he doesn’t hesitate to take the New York-bred stakes route, even with his most promising horses.
An elated Jeremiah Englehart with NY-Bred Grade 3 Sanford winner Mo Plex. Photo credit: Susie Raiher
In 2022, Maple Leaf Mel was an impressive first-out winner at Saratoga, winning by five lengths, and Englehart pointed her not to the Spinaway Stakes (G1), but to the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Saratoga New York-bred Showcase Day. He took a similar route with Pat On the Back in 2016, pointing the colt to the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes and two New York-bred stakes before venturing into open company.
Englehart’s Sanford winner Mo Plex is by first-crop sire Complexity and was bred by Everything’s Cricket Racing. Out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy, the colt brought $45,000 from Englehart’s JCE Racing at this year’s OBS spring sale of two-year-olds in training after failing to meet his reserve as a yearling at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of preferred New York-breds, bringing a final bid of $27,000. He’s earned $137,500 in his two lifetime starts, more than tripling his sale price.
“Right now I’m leaning towards the Funny Cide for his next start,” said the trainer, referring to the stakes races on this year’s Saratoga Showcase Day on Aug. 25. “It depends on what other winners emerge at the meet. The main reason that I’d try the Hopeful Stakes [G1] is that I really want to stretch him out. He’s had two races, and the goal is to turn him into an older horse. I don’t want to do too much with him too early.”
Englehart is thinking along similar lines with Bellacose, aiming her to the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Showcase Day.
Superstitiously saying that he was probably going to “shoot himself in the foot,” Englehart nevertheless identified several other promising New York-bred juveniles, starting with Miss Welch, a Maclean’s Music filly out of the Speightstown mare Downtown Mama that was bred by Lady Sheila Stable.
Miss Welch is entered in a MSW at Saratoga on July 26 and is the 7-2 third choice on the morning line. Englehart’s long-time purchasing partner Legion Bloodstock paid $190,000 for her at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of two-year-olds in training.
“The way they’d been working, I thought she was better than Bellacose,” said Englehart. “At first, I was going to run Miss Welch in the race that Bellacose won, and run Bellacose in Friday’s race. I thought that Bellacose would be a little more ready for the distance, but I flip-flopped them to give Miss Welch a little more time. It worked out with Bellacose, and we’ll see how it works out for Miss Welch.”
Among the New York-bred colts for which Englehart has high hopes is Sir Cartwright, purchased as a weanling for $175,000 and pinhooked at last year’s Saratoga New York-bred sale for $195,000. He was bred by Saratoga Glen Farm and is by Maclean’s Music, out of the Hennessy mare Water of Life.
He also mentioned Annexperience by first-crop sire Instagrand, bred by Forty Oaks and Pug Hart; Toga Life, bred by Sandee Schultz and, like Mo Plex, is by first-crop sire Complexity; and Omaha Pistol, bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm.
“I love the New York-bred program,” he went on. “I’ve been working with it my whole life. It’s great for people who want to be in the game and have a shot at earning money. You can run in races restricted to New York-breds, and if you have one good enough, you can always handle open company, too.”
