Despite success, Drawing Away Stable, trainer Jacobson drift apart

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – One of the most successful owner-trainer combinations in recent years on this circuit appears on the verge of parting ways.

For the last three years, no owner-trainer combination has won more races on the New York Racing Association circuit than Drawing Away Stable and David Jacobson. In each of the last three years, Drawing Away has finished first or second in the owners’ standings in wins, while Jacobson has been the leading trainer in wins. In 2013, Drawing Away led all owners on this circuit in wins (89) and purse money won ($4,055,505).

In recent months, however, the two entities have gone in different directions and now have only four horses together. Drawing Away has hired three other trainers, while Jacobson is claiming for himself and other clients. Jacobson likely will finish Aqueduct’s winter meet as both leading trainer and leading owner.

“He wants to develop his own stable, and he’s doing a great job,” said Ed Boden, head of Drawing Away. “He’s taking [Salutos Amigos] to Dubai, and that’s great. We have to claim horses and weren’t claiming as much with David as we would have liked.”

Jacobson points to last summer’s Saratoga meet as the point when his working relationship began to sour with Drawing Away. Drawing Away won just two races at Saratoga in 2014, one summer after winning 11 at the prestigious race meet.

Last summer, Drawing Away hired Abigail Adsit to be its second trainer. Adsit and Drawing Away have teamed to win five races from 27 starters so far.

This winter, Drawing Away has hired Bruce Brown and Phil Serpe. Brown has claimed three horses for Drawing Away. Serpe, currently in Florida, has claimed two and is looking for more, with a concentration on turf, Boden said.

“I’m disappointed that they decided to go in another direction after all the success we had together,” Jacobson said.

It would seem as though Saturday’s inaugural New York Claiming Championships would be tailor-made for Jacobson and Drawing Away. While Jacobson entered eight horses in the 10 stakes, Drawing Away will run just Wealth to Me in the $90,000 Stud Muffin. Wealth to Me is one of the four Drawing Away horses still trained by Jacobson.

Boden said Drawing Away is down to around 20 horses – it once had as many as 62 – including Be Bullish, the 10-year-old millionaire who is entered to run Friday at Aqueduct in a $20,000 claiming race.

“As long as he’s healthy and David feels he can run, we’ll run him,” Boden said. “He’s not going any lower. If he shows he can’t run, he’ll be down at Old Friends.”

Last year, Drawing Away contributed money to Old Friends to have a paddock built at its Kentucky location where it can retire horses when their careers are complete. Boden said there are at least four former Drawing Away horses at Old Friends, including Balance of Power, who was injured following his victory in last summer’s Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park.

Though he now may be competing against Jacobson both on the track and at the claim box, Boden said he still considers Jacobson a friend.

“I would always want to be David’s friend, and any opportunity to work with him would be great,” Boden said. “To me, David’s the best trainer in New York if you’re looking to win races. We had a great time together. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, I’m having fun with all these other trainers.”

Claiming Championships draw 90

A total of 90 horses were entered Wednesday for Saturday’s inaugural New York Claiming Championships, a card consisting of 10 stakes worth $710,000 in purses.

Three of the races drew overflow fields, including the $70,000 Peeping Tom, a sprint for males that drew 14. A maximum of 12 horses will be permitted to run in each race.

The richest race on the card, the $100,000 Mr. Sinatra, drew a field of only five and will be carded as race 3. That field is led by the Jacobson duo of Stormin Monarcho and Spa City Fever. Celebrated Talent, Don Dulce, and Howl were the others entered.

The $80,000 Karakorum Elektra, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, also drew a field of five, led by Lady Luciano, who will be coming back two weeks after winning an allowance race here by nine lengths.