Englehart's 'nicer 3-year-olds' head new Oaklawn Park string

Jeremiah Englehart has started only two horses at Oaklawn Park, but that total figures to increase significantly in 2020 with the New York-based trainer operating a string in Hot Springs, Ark., for the first time.

Englehart said this week that he should have around 24 horses on the grounds opening day, Jan. 24, with a contingent that will include several promising 2-year-olds.

“I had some clients that were interested in coming out,” said Englehart, who has roughly 70 horses in training. “I had the help set up and figured we’d give it a shot and see how it went.”

Englehart said most of the horses that will eventually be based at Oaklawn have competed on the New York Racing Association circuit (Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga).

Bill Parcells' Three Technique, for example, debuted in June at Belmont Park, broke his maiden in August at Saratoga and cleared his first allowance condition in his last start, Nov. 20 at Aqueduct. Englehart said Three Technique, a son of millionaire Mr Speaker, is scheduled to make his 3-year-old and stakes debut in the $150,000 Smarty Jones on opening day.

Three Technique and stablemate Forty Under, a Grade 3 winner on grass, are already on the grounds. Parcells (who races under the August Dawn Farm banner) also owns Forty Under, who ran sixth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in 2018 at Churchill Downs and is entered in the $75,000 Woodchopper Stakes on the grass Saturday at Fair Grounds.

“There will probably be a half-dozen for him there,” Englehart said, referring to Parcells, a 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. “I would say six or so.”

Other 2-year-olds ticketed for Oaklawn, Englehart said, include Maryanorginger, who won the Astoria Stakes for fillies in her career debut in June at Belmont Park; Captain Bombastic, who won the Sleepy Hollow Stakes for New York-breds Oct. 19 at Belmont Park; the Parcells-owned Tuggle, who won his career debut in June at Belmont Park before finishing third in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) Aug. 10 at Saratoga in his next start; and Daphne Moon, who won her career debut in August at Saratoga.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a handful of them to move up the ladder as they get older,” Englehart said.

Englehart, 43, is annually among the country’s winningest trainers. He won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2013 at Santa Anita (through a race-related disqualification) with Ria Antonia and recorded his 1,000th career victory Nov. 2, 2016, at Finger Lakes in New York. Englehart, who started his first horse in 2003, is the son of trainer Chris Englehart, a fixture at Finger Lakes and on the NYRA circuit.

Bridget’s Big Luvy (2015 Arkansas Derby) and Tiz He the One (2019 Razorback Handicap) represent Jeremiah Englehart’s only Oaklawn starters to date. Englehart said he will be in Hot Springs from Jan. 7 through the end of the month to oversee his Oaklawn division.

“Most of the nicer horses will be there,” Englehart said. “I’ll have more horses at Belmont, but the nicer 3-year-olds and older horses will be at Oaklawn.”