Englehart, Parcells Blitz Into Oaklawn Park

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 moving a string of horses to Hot Springs, Ark., for the first time.

Englehart said Dec. 24 that he should have around 24 horses on the grounds by opening day Jan. 24. His contingent that will include several promising 2-year-olds, such as Three Technique for two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells. 

"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 being sent to Oaklawn have competed on the New York Racing Association circuit.

Three Technique, who races in the name of Parcells' August Dawn Farm, is one such runner. He debuted in June at Belmont Park, broke his maiden in August at Saratoga Race Course, and cleared his first allowance condition in his last start Nov. 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Prior to those victories, he ran second in a July maiden race at Saratoga in which he was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Basin, eventual winner of the Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1).

Video: Race 3 (AOC) at AQU on 11/20/19

Englehart said the son of Mr Speaker  is scheduled to make his 3-year-old and stakes debut in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 24, a mile race that marks Oaklawn's first of four Kentucky Derby points-qualifying races. All of Three Technique's races to date have come at seven furlongs or shorter.

"He's a colt that's kind of always showed a little promise," Englehart said. "Hopefully, he gets on the Derby trail."

The other Derby preps at Oaklawn are all graded and over longer distances: the Feb. 17 Southwest Stakes (G3) and Rebel Stakes (G2), both at 1 1/16 miles, followed by the Apr. 11 Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles.

Three Technique and Forty Under, a grade 3 winner on grass, are already at Oaklawn. Parcells also owns Forty Under, who ran sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) in 2018 at Churchill Downs and is entered in the Dec. 28 Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

"There will probably be a half-dozen for him there," Englehart said, referring to Parcells, a 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Englehart said other 2-year-olds ticketed for Oaklawn include Maryanorginger, who won the Astoria Stakes for fillies in her only race in June at Belmont; Captain Bombastic, winner of the Oct. 19 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont; the Parcells-owned Tuggle, who won his career debut in June at Belmont Park before running third in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at Saratoga and finishing the late-summer early-fall with two unplaced stakes efforts; and Daphne Moon, who won her career debut in August at Saratoga before running off the board in a couple of stakes. 

"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 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) with Ria Antonia at Santa Anita Park via disqualification and recorded his 1,000th career victory Nov. 2, 2016, at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack 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, eighth in the 2015 Arkansas Derby, and Tiz He the One, 14th in the 2019 Razorback Handicap (G3), represent his only Oaklawn starters to this point.

Englehart said he will be in Hot Springs 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."

Englehart's talented 2-year-olds are the not the only ones already at Oaklawn for the meet. Horses from other barns continue to arrive, and some have already recorded workouts over the surface.

One such runner, millionaire Snapper Sinclair, breezed five furlongs Dec. 22  in 1:01 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Fourth in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and ninth in the Clark Stakes presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) in his final starts this year, he is aimed at the Jan. 25 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn, according to owner Bloom Racing Stable's website.