By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — It's a tossup as to what is the biggest sporting event this weekend for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The choices are these: the $175,000 GIII Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday or the Vermont Lacrosse Classic two and a half hours away in the town of Essex.
Come again?
Englehart will do double duty because three of his five kids are in the lacrosse travel tournament. He wont miss that. And he can't be absent from the Spa because he has to to saddle Mo Plex (Complexity) in the first 2-year-old stakes race of the Saratoga season.
Englehart will leave Saratoga Friday night for Vermont where 12-year-old twins CJ and Anna and 10-year-old Eli are taking part in the lacrosse tournament. It starts on Saturday morning. After taking in the early games, Englehart will get back in the car and point it back to Saratoga for the race.
Then, it's a return to the Green Mountain State Saturday night for more lacrosse on Sunday.
“My parents were always there for me and my siblings,” Englehart said outside his barn at Saratoga Thursday morning. “I have always said my wife (Robin) and I will be there for my kids.”
The whole family–Raelyn, who will be a freshman in high school this fall and 8-year-old Jax round it out–will be making the trip to Vermont. Englehart will be solo on the trip to Saratoga and back.
“If we win (the Sanford), the drive will feel like it's five minutes,” Englehart said.
Mo Plex, owned by R and H Stable, won his debut by 10 lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr. on June 20 at Aqueduct.
Englehart could have waited for the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes for New York-breds on Aug. 25, but he decided Mo Plex deserved a shot against open company.
“We thought this was the right step,” he said. “Coming out of the first race, he was doing well enough where we thought it would be worth giving him a shot in the Sanford. One thing he showed me is that he doesn't care about anything. He just goes out and does what you ask him to do.”
The Sanford drew a field of eight; Mo Plex is 6-1 on the morning line and drew post position eight. Ortiz returns for the ride.
“This will be definitely a big test for him and, hopefully, he is up to it,” Englehart said.
Pretty sure he was talking about the horse and not his kids chances in the lacrosse festival in Vermont.
Travers Still In Play For Mystik Dan, But McPeek Thinking About Other Options
Sure, there is a chance that GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) could run at Saratoga on Travers Day. But that doesn't mean he will run in the GI Travers Stakes.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said he will be in no hurry to run decide what is next for Mystik Dan, who was second in the GI Preakness Stakes and eighth in the GI Belmont Stakes.
“It's not out of the question that he would be nominated for the [GI] Allen Jerkens [on Travers Day],” McPeek said at his office at Saratoga Thursday morning. “It's kind of a different angle because he is that fast.”
Mystik Dan is at McPeek's barn at Churchill Downs and will be there for a while. After the Belmont, the horse had a “light” lung infection and it is now clear according to McPeek.
McPeek said Mystik Dan needs another three weeks of galloping before getting ready to breeze.
The trainer said he will be under absolutely no pressure to get him ready for the Travers on Aug. 24.
“If I have to rush to make the Travers, I'm not going to do it,” he said. “It's not out of the question that he would not run until the [GI] Pennsylvania Derby [on Sept. 21 at Parx]. If he doesn't go in the Travers, it leaves it open for her.”
'Her' is 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), who has dominated her division with three wins in as many starts this year. The last two were lopsided victories in the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Acorn Stakes.
The next start for the 'TDN Rising Star' is expected to be the GI Coaching Club American Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on July 20 at Saratoga. She is scheduled to work Saturday morning on the Oklahoma Training Track.
“Let's see how she performs in the Coaching Club Oaks,” McPeek said. “I will cross-nominate her to the Travers and [GI] Alabama [Stakes versus fillies] and see how the Travers is coming up and how the Alabama is coming up.”
Former Canadian Horse Of The Year Taking Her Shot in Diana
Only twice in her 13-race career has 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper) left the Great White North to run in the United States. She'll make her third trip this weekend to compete in the $500,000 GI Diana Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.
“I would not be shipping there if I didn't think she would run well,” trainer Kevin Attard said by phone from his base at Woodbine Thursday. “She is a filly who deserves this opportunity.”
Moira, now five, only left Canada to run twice in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. She was fifth in 2022 and third last year. The Diana will be her first start since a troubled trip in the Breeders' Cup effort at Santa Anita last November.
She will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for the first time in the Diana, which will be run at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course. Moira is 5-1 on the morning line.
Among the nine foes she will be facing are the Chad Brown quintet of Coppice (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) defending champion Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio), Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}).
“There is no doubt that this is a tough race, but we are bringing a tough horse with us,” Attard said. “The only drawback is the long layoff but she has run well off layoffs before and there is no reason for me to think she won't run well on Saturday.”
Moira has won five of 13 career start. Her last win came in the GII Canadian Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 9, the only other time she ran at 1 1/8 miles. She won by 6 1/4 lengths. She had one win in six starts last year but was on the board in her five other starts.
During her Horse of the Year season, Moira beat the boys by seven lengths in the Queens Plate.
Atttard said the last Saratoga win he had was with Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind), who won the GII Ballston Spa Stakes in 2020. Attard wasn't here because of travel restrictions during the COVID pandemic. He said he can't remember the last time he was here. He'll be here Saturday.
“It's been a long, long time,” Attard said. “It's a great place, an historic track and the atmosphere you just can't even explain. I'm looking forward to it. And I don't feel any pressure. It's all on her. She is the one running.”
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