Jeremiah Englehart

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Back at his office on the Oklahoma Training Track Wednesday morning, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was trying to describe the four-furlong work he had just seen from his 3-year-old colt Batten Down (Tapit). "Wooosh," was one of the sounds he made. "Phhhffftt," was another. The cartoon melodies made by Mott were, supposedly, offered to show how impressive the grey/roan Batten Down looked to him. Batten Down was timed in :48 (2/13) in the move on the Oklahoma Training Track. It was his first work...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Trainer Jeremiah Englehart has some time to figure out what to do next with GIII Sanford Stakes winner Mo Plex (Complexity). The 2-year-old colt came out of his one-length Sanford win last Saturday in good shape, Englehart said Thursday outside his barn at the Oklahoma Annex. Now he has to decide when we'll see Mo Plex again. The options are the six-furlong, $200,000 Funny Cide for New York-breds on Aug. 25 or the seven-furlong, $300,000 GI Hopeful on Sept. 2, closing day. "I am definitely not ruling out...

3rd-Saratoga, $90,000, (S), Msw, 7-17, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.08, ft, 10 3/4 lengths. BELLACOSE (f, 2, Audible--Little Bullet, by Uncle Mo) continued a very positive start to the current meet for this barn, which was represented by GIII Sanford Stakes winner Mo Plex (Complexity) last Saturday. The 32-5 betting alternative to odds-on Vehemente (Vekoma), Bellacose won the break beneath Manny Franco and galloped his seven fellow firsters through an opening quarter in :22.20. With Vehemente improving one spot to try to take the race to the pacesetter nearing the...

When GIII Sanford Stakes morning-line choice Mentee (City of Light) was scratched Saturday morning, it might have been assumed the race had lost some of its luster, but apparently no one told Mo Plex (c, 2, Complexity--Mo Joy, by Uncle Mo), who was featured in TDN's Saratoga Notebook Friday. The New York-bred Jeremiah Englehart trainee went gate to wire to stay undefeated and give his freshman sire (by Maclean's Music) his first graded win. Studlydoright (Nyquist) and Three Echos (Echo Town) each suffered bumps at the break, but kicked on...

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...

2nd-Belmont The Big A, $75,000, (S), Msw, 6-20, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.05, ft, 10 lengths. MO PLEX (c, 2, Complexity--Mo Joy, by Uncle Mo), sent off at even money from his high draw, was hustled into contention as Man From Malta (Honest Mischief) cut out an opening quarter in :22.16. Narrowly in front approaching the quarter pole, the favorite was given his cue by Irad Ortiz Jr. straightening for home, and the New York bred shot clear late, scoring by 10 lengths over fellow firster Chasing Colton (Leofric). With the...

3rd-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 8-9, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:06.12, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. TRICKY TEMPER (f, 2, Into Mischief--Winter Book {MSW, $148,299}, by Any Given Saturday) went off as the 6-5 favorite in this off-the-turf debut that saw half of the field scratch following heavy rains earlier in the week. The bay rated to the outside up the backstretch, three off the lead. Tricky Temper was still in chase mode around the far turn, but at the top of the lane, she flashed her speed down the...

Melanie Giddings had originally planned on a no-stress summer when she decided to move her fledgling stable from its home base at Palm Meadows up to New York for the Saratoga meet. "I had said, 'Why don't we just go up to Saratoga and enjoy ourselves?'" Giddings recalled with her signature easy smile. "No pressure, no nothing. Just take the horses there and see what we can do." Those expectations went out the window pretty quickly when a filly named Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) landed in her barn. The...

Billed as a showdown between unbeaten sophomore fillies Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) and Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief), with the added bonus of Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance), who took down previously unbeaten Munnys Gold (Munnings) in Churchill's GII Eight Belles S. May 5, Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. didn't disappoint as Maple Leaf Mel turned back a stiff challenge from Dazzling Blue and stayed unbeaten in five starts. Interpolate (Into Mischief) bobbled out of the gate, but Maple Leaf Mel broke straight and true. The gray found her customary...

Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) may have been gone since August last year, but she showed no signs of rust Friday as she floated home the easiest of winners in the East View S. at Aqueduct. A five-length winner at first-asking Aug. 10 at Saratoga in a six panel, state-bred maiden dash over the fast main track, she returned 16 days later in the slop to duel her way to an open length victory in the state-bred restricted Seeking the Ante S. over familiar face Lady Mine (First Samurai), GSP...

6th-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 8-10, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.48, ft, 5 lengths. MAPLE LEAF MEL (f, 2, Cross Traffic--City Gift, by City Place), named after trainer Jeremiah Englehart's assistant trainer Melanie Giddings, entered this unveiling with a reputation that preceded her, and garnered 3-5 favoritism in this state-bred affair. Quick to the front from mid-pack, the $150,000 EASMAY purchase (:10.2) set the tempo against the fence and expanded her gap at each point of call as Spinning Colors (Hard Spun) chased in vain. In much of a one-horse race from...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 02/11/2022 Licensee: Aaron Eric Kroul, owner Penalty: Suspension Violation: Failure to appear before stewards on financial responsibility charges Explainer: Owner Aaron Eric Kroul, having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of Stewards...