Englehart claims spot at top of trainer standings

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off a strong winter meet and a solid start to the spring season at Aqueduct, trainer Jeffrey Englehart plans to have a stronger presence in New York on a year-round basis.

Englehart won 10 races from 62 starters during the Aqueduct winter meet. After five days of the 15-day Aqueduct spring meet, Englehart has won four races from 12 starts to top the trainer standings.

Englehart has typically left five or six horses at Belmont Park for the spring and fall meets, but this year plans to have from 12 to 20 head at Belmont. Englehart typically has larger strings at Finger Lakes and Monmouth Park as well.

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“I’ve always kept some horses here all year round just to keep my foot in the door and to be able to claim,” Englehart said Friday at Belmont. “I’ll keep more this year because the horses have been running well and I just have more horses in general.”

Several of his owners, most notably Daryl Abramowitz and Robert Photos, have been quite active at the claim box. Since February, Photos has claimed 13 horses with Englehart, including recent winners Dream Bigger, Ragtime Blues, and Shasta Star. Abramowitz has made some higher-priced claims, including Scocciatore, whom he took for $45,000 on March 19. With Dylan Davis aboard, Scocciatore won an $82,000 first-level allowance race Thursday that was rained off the turf.

“Dylan gave him a great ride,” Englehart said. “It was nice for him to be able to punch through that condition. We have no married-to plans for him just yet, but he’s going to be racing in New York.”

Abramowitz last year claimed the stakes winner Bodecream for $80,000. He finished 10th in the Colonel Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds and there are currently no plans for him. Last week, Abramowitz claimed Mischief Mogul for $40,000.

Englehart said he has other clients such as Kasey Kay and Final Turn Racing for whom he is looking to claim.

“I’m not able to claim for myself as much, which is fine, but I like to partner with my owners when I can and when they want to as well,” said Englehart, 31, whose father, Chris, and brother Jeremiah are also trainers in New York. “I’m thankful to all my owners for giving me the opportunity.”

In Sunday’s second race, Englehart sends out Credit Suspended, a New York-bred filly by Outwork whom Photos claimed for $25,000 out of her first start on Feb. 19. She finished fifth that day. She is back in for statebred $25,000 on Sunday.

“We liked that filly’s family,” Englehart said. “It’s not that I overly look for first-time starters, but I’m not afraid to pull the trigger if it makes sense. We put blinkers on her and she trains like she would get the mile. I do expect a better performance from her.”