Englehart's 'Pat' Eyes Back-to-Back Empire Classic wins

On an Empire Showcase Day designed to celebrate the merits of the New York state breeding program, one of its best ambassadors will attempt to join select company.

Purchased for $70,000 as a yearling, the 5-year-old Pat On the Back has already earned $1,101,032 for owners Harold Lerner, Adriana and Wayne Cutler of AWC Stables, and Dale Cohen's Nehoc Stables. On Oct. 19 at his beloved Belmont Park | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Belmont Park, he'll try to add to that total when he takes aim at becoming just the second horse to win the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap for New York-breds in back-to-back years.

"He's one of those horses who loves to run and enjoys what he's doing," trainer Jeremiah Englehart said about the ultra-consistent son of Congrats  who was bred by Sugar Maple Farm. "He's answered every one of our questions. He doesn't have to prove anything to us. He's a horse that always brings his lunch pail and goes to work."

Especially at Belmont Park.

At his home base on Long Island, Pat On the Back has started 12 times—each time in a stakes—with six wins, three seconds and two thirds, highlighted by his most recent race when he elevated his status. Running in graded stakes company for the fourth time, he not only hit the board for the first time, he outdueled the favored Prince Lucky in the final furlong and won the Kelso Handicap (G2) by a half-length for his first stakes win outside of restricted, state-bred competition.

"In the Kelso, (jockey) Dylan Davis did a nice job to get him back off the pace when he was a little rank. He seems to like to have a target," said Englehart, who has won five of nine starts with the chestnut 5-year-old and took over the horse's training duties last spring when original trainer Ken McPeek opted to remain in Kentucky. "I was so happy to get a graded win for him and all of the owners. They all deserve it."

Belmont is also the site of his victory in the 2018 Empire Classic when he notched a 1 1/2-length victory over Can You Diggit, with the speedy Mr. Buff, one of his main rivals Saturday, another length back in third.

Though only five starters could be rounded up for the 1 1/8-mile test, Pat On the Back, the 126-pound highweight, should get a nice pace to chase as both Mr. Buff and 3-year-old gelding Not That Brady both possess a nice turn of early speed.

"We'll leave it to Dylan and 'Pat' to decide on tactics," Englehart said.

A victory would put Pat On the Back on equal footing with Spite the Devil, who won the Empire Classic in 2004-05 and rates as the only horse to win the stakes in consecutive years since it was changed from a 2-year-old stakes in 1994.

While the Empire Classic is the immediate goal, Englehart said he would a welcome an opportunity to give Pat On the Back a second chance in the Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) in December. The son of the Awesome Again  mare Accomplished was fifth in last year's edition when he chased the pace of eventual winner Patternrecognition, and Englehart believes his horse was "up against it" that day while trying to catch the frontrunner on a speed-favoring track.

"The Cigar might be next if everything goes well," Englehart said. "Maybe we'll give him one more shot there. I'd like a chance for him to show what he can do in that race because I think he's better than he showed last year."

The Cigar marked the only time in his past 10 starts that McPeek's 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-Bred Yearling buy from the St. George Sales consignment finished worse than third.

"He really has that will to win," Englehart said. "When he won the Affirmed Success (April 26 in the first of his four 2019 starts) he showed he was a horse who wants to win and will do whatever he has to do to win. He's smart horse. He knows where the wire is. He has an amazing desire to win." 

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff is also exiting a graded stakes. He set the pace in the Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) before weakening in the stretch and winding up seventh for trainer John Kimmel. The homebred son of Friend Or Foe out of the Speightstown  mare Speightful Affair was an easy winner of two state-bred stakes prior to that, winning by a combined 9 3/4 lengths.

Aside from last year's Empire Classic, Mr. Buff and Pat On the Back met this year when Pat On the Back surged past the frontrunning Mr. Buff to take the one-mile Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park in 1:33.43. Mr. Buff, who has earned $696,286, settled for third, just three-quarters of a length behind Pat On the Back.

Mr. Buff will carry 124 pounds Saturday.

Not That Brady followed New York's Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the son of Big Brown  lost by a head in the Withers Stakes (G3) and was fifth in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2).

Owned by Michael Imperio, Lianna Stables, R.A. Hill Stables, and trainer Rudy Rodriguez, Not That Brady is winless in his past seven starts. He was fourth in the Albany Stakes for 3-year-old state-breds and then sixth in a state-bred allowance optional claimer on turf in his past two tries.

Not That Brady was assigned 115 pounds.

The field also includes Francis J. Paolangeli's Blugrascat's Smile, a recent state-bred allowance optional claimer winner, and Robert Bone's Dynamax Prime, who was fourth in an open allowance optional claimer and second both times to Mr. Buff in the 1 1/8-mile Evan Shipman Stakes and the 1 1/16-mile Saginaw Stakes.

The Empire Classic will be the fifth of 11 state-bred races on the annual Empire Showcase Day that offers eight restricted stakes with a combined purse of $1.75 million.

The card also includes the $250,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile (race 2); the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf (race 4); the $150,000 Hudson Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs (race 6); the $150,000 Iroquois Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares (race 7); the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile (race 8); the $200,000 Ticonderoga Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf (race 9); and the $250,000 Empire Distaff Handicap for fillies and mares at a mile.

Post time for the first race is 12:20 p.m. ET.