Barn Tour: David Jacobson is off to a fast start at Ellis Park

It appears trainer David Jacobson is settling in nicely in his new Kentucky home.

Formerly based in New York, the veteran trainer relocated to the bluegrass in September, and he was atop the Ellis Park leaderboard entering the week with six wins from 14 starts, plus one second and one third.

“I love training here,” Jacobson told Horse Racing Nation this week. “The organization and the people that run the circuit, from the veterinarians, the administrative, everything is so professional and runs so well here. And so is New York. I mean, those two places are the best two places, I believe, to race horses in the country without a doubt. … Kentucky is a great place to live and my horses like it here, so we are just going to do the best we can.”

Jacobson took a break from racing for about 25 years, returning in 2007 after a stint selling real estate in Manhattan with his brother.

“Just seemed the right time to get back into the horses in 2007,” he said. “No one could believe I was gone that long. Neither could I. Everybody's the same and everyone thinks everything changed, but the horses are still the same. The only thing is everybody looks a little bit older.”

Based at the Churchill Downs Trackside Training Center in Louisville, Jacobson has about 40 horses in training. He's the owner or part owner of “I think every horse I have in my barn.” He provided an update on his top runners for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

Banishing. The 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding has a record of 8: 3-4-0 this year, winning  the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile in March and a black-type stakes at Ellis on Sunday. “We saw a good spot, and it was pretty much at home. …. The purse was probably one of the smaller purses that he's run for, but it seemed like a good spot. And sure enough, it was the right spot. He won, he ran a big race. He got behind some horses, top of the stretch. And he ran a great race. He always does.” Jacobson is pointing Banishing to the Forego (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 23. “I've always had my eye on that race because it's a little sentimental to me.” Jacobson won the Forego in 2013 with Strapping Groom, his first Grade 1 win in a flat race.

Durante. The 6-year-old Distorted Humor gelding has two wins from five starts this year, including a victory in the Aristides (G3) in May. He finished fourth last out behind Banishing at Ellis on Sunday. “He's come around. He was a really good horse in New York, he won the Bold Ruler (G3, 2023) He was cut out to be a really nice horse, and then he kind of tailed off. We worked diligently on him and it paid off, and he's coming back to be the horse we always thought he was. His last couple of races, even though he didn't win the other day against Banishing, he got beat two lengths to Vanishing and to Booth, who's an extremely fast, good horse. He can run with the likes of those. He's considered a horse to look forward to.” As for what’s next, “I'm looking forward to getting him back to Churchill. … Maybe we'll look at him with the Forego with Banishing, but they're two good horses, they shouldn't be competing against each other. So we'll look for something for Durante.”

Marmalade Skye. The 5-year-old mare by Danza has a 6: 3-2-0 record this year but hasn’t had a start since winning an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill in May. “She was hard-hitting, in the winter she was doing very well. She just needed a little rest, a well-deserved rest. She ran really hard in the winter. She's one that'll probably come back in the early fall at Churchill.”

Cat On Time. The 5-year-old gelding by Not This Time has won two of five starts for Jacobson this year, and his most recent outing was a fifth-place finish in an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill Downs in June. “He had a few issues when I got him. I had to work on him. Gave him the time that he needed. And he's come around to be a really nice horse. I know he loves the mud. And it's just a shame he was two races away from running in the cancellation the other day at Ellis (where Cat On Time was scheduled to run Saturday). He wants to run in the slop, which I just would love to run in. He just loves the mud. He'll be coming up, he's ready to run, and you'll see him real soon.”

Copper Em. The 4-year-old Copper Bullet filly is 2-for-2 since Jacobson bought her in May, including an optional-claiming allowance win Sunday at Ellis. “It turns out she's got a half-sister (Classic Q) that's doing very well, and hopefully she'll be right behind her half-sister. I'm keeping an eye on her because I have a feeling that my filly could be, based on her career and her sister's career, could be a nice broodmare that we have there.” For her next start, “you could see her in Saratoga, or if they give me a race at Ellis, I'd give Ellis first shot. I'd love to run at home. It's the best thing not to have to ship.”

Sultry Lass. The 6-year-old Bernardini mare has had one start and one win for Jacobson since he claimed her for $80,000 in June. She was scratched from a stakes at Ellis on Monday and is entered in an optional-claiming allowance at Saratoga on Wednesday. “I expect her to run a very big race. Perfect distance, she ran 6 1/2 (furlongs) last time, just got up in time. So the seven-eighths, it's just a perfect race, the timing is good. I expect a big race out of her up at Saratoga.”

Disco Ball. The 8-year-old Orb gelding has won five of seven starts for Jacobson since last summer, but hasn’t had a start since winning an optional-claiming allowance at Oaklawn in March. “He's just getting a well-deserved rest, and hopefully you'll see him in the fall at Churchill.”