Debut winner Lucille Ball no joke; Gin Talking Stakes next up

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though he’s won more than 4,700 races in his career, trainer Chris Englehart doesn’t fancy himself as one who does well with first-time starters.

However, on Nov. 8 he sent out the 2-year-old filly Lucille Ball to a 5 1/4-length debut victory going 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct. She covered the distance in 1:17.23 and earned a solid 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She was training real good, but I don’t really crank them up for their first start. I wasn’t sure she was totally ready, but she ran real well,” said Englehart, who trains Lucille Ball for Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable, and Adam Wachtel.

Lucille Ball is by Lord Nelson out of the Henny Hughes mare Sassy Redhead. She is a half-sister to Doncho, who won the Gold Fever Stakes sprinting at Aqueduct in May.

Englehart said without a good option in New York for Lucille Ball, she is likely going to make her next start in the $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes on Dec. 28 at Laurel Park. That race is at seven furlongs.

Meanwhile, Englehart plans to run Dr. Kraft in the $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series on Nov. 23. Dr. Kraft was the beaten favorite of a second-level allowance race on Aug. 25 at Saratoga in his most recent start.

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“He didn’t get a real good start and didn’t get into the race the right way,” Englehart said. “Didn’t really run bad, but we just gave him a little bit of time after the race, he’d run hard all year.”

Only eight are nominated to the Thunder Rumble, but they include General Banker and Doc Sullivan, the latter back with New York company after a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. On Wednesday, Doc Sullivan worked a sharp half-mile in 47.96 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.

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