Englehart points graded winner Mo Plex toward 3-year-old debut
Mo Plex, a graded-stakes winner at Saratoga last summer, is under consideration for the Grade 3 $300,000 Gotham or the $125,000 Gander at Aqueduct. The Gotham is a one-mile test for open-company sophomores March 1, and the Gander is open to New York-bred sophomores at the same distance March 8.
The Gotham awards the top five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points toward Kentucky Derby 2025. But trainer Jeremiah Englehart said the Gander might be preferable for Mo Plex off his respite after he finished second to the unbeaten Sacrosanct in the one-mile state-bred Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 27 at Aqueduct.
“Right now, I’m pointing him towards either the Gotham or the Gander. Probably leaning towards the Gander right now,” Englehart said. “Just to see if I can kind of give him an easier spot first back off the bench.
“Eventually I would like to see him back in open company, if he is good enough, and I do think he is good enough, so I will play it by ear,” Englehart added.
Mo Plex breezed a half-mile in 49.64 seconds in company with Hey Toby on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
“He’ll have a couple of works going into this, at least one more for the Gotham, two more if it's the Gander, but it seems like everything is going well,” Englehart said. “In the wintertime, you are looking to keep them against the bridle and not worry so much about times. I thought he worked in a nice fashion. There was an inside horse on the rail and my inside horse had to move out into him, and he seemed to handle it pretty well.”
Mo Plex’s last-out second earned a career-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form, improving one tick from a third to Chancer McPatrick in the Grade 1 Champagne earlier that month. Both were respectable defeats in the eyes of Englehart.
“Chancer McPatrick is a very nice colt, he could be the leading 3-year-old this year at some point,” Englehart said. “Same for Sacrosanct, I know Brad (Cox, trainer) is very high on that horse and he tipped his cap for beating us. I think he is another New York-bred who can go on and do big things.”
Mo Plex, prior to his October efforts, began his career 3-for-3 with sprint scores in the Sanford (G3) and the state-bred Funny Cide at Saratoga, as well as his June debut at Aqueduct.