Breeders' Cup: Tamarind Hall far exceeds trainer's expectations

No one could have known that the second race at Aqueduct on March 25 would produce a starter for the Breeders’ Cup. The six-furlong inner-track race was for fillies and mares racing under a “beaten” condition and being risked for a $15,000 claiming tag.

Tamarind Hall, based at Finger Lakes in upstate New York, led throughout as a two-length winner on that Friday afternoon, beginning a run that has led to her earning a berth in the $1 million BC Filly and Mare Sprint on Friday at Churchill. A 4-year-old Florida-bred by Graeme Hall, Tamarind Hall has raced six more times since then, winning three and running second twice after quickly ascending the class ladder on the New York circuit.

“If someone had told me at the start of the year that I would have a horse in the Breeders’ Cup, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said trainer Jeremiah Englehart, who will be making his BC debut. Engelhart said he has been to Churchill once, when he came as a fan to see Big Brown win the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

David Cohen, who turned 27 on Saturday, also will be making his first BC appearance when retaining the mount on Tamarind Hall. Cohen began his riding career in 2004.