DeVaux, Ortiz relieved after Englishman lives up to billing in Jerkens
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Even though she was running the over-whelming favorite and current leader of the sprint division, trainer Cherie DeVaux admitted she let out a sigh of relief after her freakishly fast Englishman crossed the finish line a comfortable 3 3/4 lengths in front of runner-up Deep Flame in Saturday’s $500,000 Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga.
“Yes, there was a sigh of relief at the end of the race,” said DeVaux. “It’s not like you doubt, but sometimes when horses are as fast as he is and you have a target on your back, you kind of get a little nervous.”
The Jerkens was Englishman’s second straight easy Grade 1 win here this season, coming nearly three months after his similarly impressive 5 3/4-length triumph in the Woody Stephens on June 6. It was the fourth one-sided victory in five starts for Englishman, with the lone blemish on his record a second-place finish to Crude Victory in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile during the spring at Churchill Downs.
Englishman’s victory snapped a 35-race winless streak for his regular rider, Jose Ortiz, who still sits atop the jockey standings at the meet.
Breaking alertly, as usual, Englishman wasted little time sprinting clear to take control of the race down the backstretch. Ortiz was able to get Englishman to relax on the front end, setting early fractions of 23.01 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.50 for the half. Those splits would be on the quick side for most horses but in comparison to Englishman’s previous seven-furlong victories, they were on the pedestrian side.
Stalked from the outset by Deep Flame, Englishman angled out to the middle of the track while holding a clear advantage entering the stretch, then drew off readily when sharply roused by Ortiz at the head of the lane. The odds-on favorite gradually extending his advantage over Deep Flame through the final furlong.
Deep Flame turned in a gallant effort in defeat but was no match for the winner while easily second best, finishing 7 3/4 lengths in front of Local Knowledge. Stickupwithoutagun and Amberjack completed the order of finish.
Englishman, a son of Maxfield owned by C R K Stable, completed the distance in 1:20.71, just .31 seconds off his track-record-equaling performance in the Woody Stephens.
“He breaks so fast and clears the field and it’s hard for anyone to get up there and challenge him. And I think that is key,” DeVaux noted. “And the way he goes so fast and still quickens in the stretch that is beginning to be his biggest weapon. That is the devastating part of how he runs.”
DeVaux was quick to credit Ortiz for the job he’s done with Englishman.
“Jose has been key in developing him to be an elite-level horse, especially in his races,” said DeVaux. “I don’t pay attention to the pace, just the way he’s doing it. He was up there and he really didn’t need to go any faster than he was.”
Ortiz conceded that like DeVaux he too was a little concerned being aboard such a fast and gifted 3-year-old.
“You always wonder if they are going to break clean and don’t stumble,” Ortiz said. “He broke clean and I was able to hold early on. Last time [in the Woody Stephens] it was a very fast pace but today it was a smaller field and I was able to just cruise around there.”
DeVaux said she will wait to see how both Englishman and Golden Tempo come out of their races on Saturday before making a decision on whether either will have another start before the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
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