Chris Englehart on a roll at Aqueduct

Trainer Chris J. Englehart went 2-for-2 at Aqueduct Racetrack Sunday afternoon, extending his winning streak to seven straight races and coming to within one of what is believed to be the modern-day record for consecutive wins by a trainer in New York.

Englehart’s streak began on December 30, when he sent out Who’s the Cowboy ($18) to win the first race, Smokin Artie’s Gal ($3.30) to take the second, and, after Cherokee Trick was scratched from the fifth race, completed the hat trick when Budge Man ($11.20) won the seventh race at the Big A.

On New Year’s Eve, Englehart won Aqueduct’s fourth race with his only starter, Iberian Gate ($2.90), and kicked off 2011 by winning the fifth race with Run Warrior Run ($9.40) on Saturday.

Sunday, Englehart’s hot streak continued when he won the fifth race with Isn’t She Grand ($3.60) and the sixth with Furhlang ($5.50) for his seventh straight winner.

With Aqueduct closed for live racing on Monday and Tuesday, the trainer will try to make it a record-tying 8-for-8 on Wednesday when he sends out Who’s the Cowboy in race 5. On Thursday, Englehart has entered three horses: Crafty Mark in the first, Sorority Sister in the sixth, and High Stakes Player in the eighth race.

According to recent records, four modern-day trainers have saddled eight consecutive winners at New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks: John Parisella in 1973; Angel Penna, Sr., who sent out eight straight at Belmont Park in 1982; Oscar Barrera, who went 8-for-8 from April 15-21, 1983 at Belmont Park, and Edward I. Kelly, who accomplished the feat in October, 1983.

More recently, trainer John Kimmel went 7-for-7 at Saratoga Race Course in 2008.

Since the Aqueduct inner track meet began on December 2, Englehart’s horses are 9-0-2 from 11 starts, with earnings of $144,600.