Englehart moving Tuggle back to dirt

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Tuggle is moving back to the main track for the featured eighth race Sunday at Oaklawn Park. The last time he raced on dirt he finished third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in August.

The effort makes Tuggle the most accomplished member of Sunday’s optional $80,000 claiming sprint for 3-year-olds that carries first-level allowance conditions. The field of 11 for the six-furlong race is a deep one and includes standout debut winners Echo Town and Ancient Warrior, plus the promising Marvin.

Tuggle is by the top-class turf horse Point of Entry. He started his career with a win in an off-the-turf maiden special weight sprint last June at Belmont Park over eventual Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Chimney Rock. Tuggle advanced to the Saratoga Special in August, then moved back to the grass and ran a troubled sixth in the Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga. The horse made one additional turf start to wrap up his year, finishing ninth to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor in the Grade 3 Pilgrim on Sept. 28 at Belmont.

“He didn’t give me the impression of wanting to be a turf horse, or at least a turf horse that wanted to go a distance of ground,” said Tuggle’s trainer, Jeremiah Englehart. “For me, his best numbers were on the dirt sprinting, so I’m going to get him back to doing what I think he likes to do best.”

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Tuggle will break from post 6 and is to be ridden by David Cohen.

“He’s been preparing very well for his first start back,” Englehart said. “David worked him out of the gate last week, and we thought that everything went well. Hopefully, we have him ready to win coming back, but I would completely understand if he needs a race.

“This is the best I’ve ever seen him doing physically and mentally,” Englehart added, noting he’s a “stronger” horse in both categories.

Tuggle worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds Feb. 16. The move was the fastest of 88 at the distance that morning at Oaklawn. The work came without blinkers, Englehart said. Tuggle will race without blinkers for the first time Sunday.

Tuggle races for the August Dawn Farm of Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells, who named the horse in honor of the late New York Giants player John Tuggle.

Echo Town could go favored off the Beyer Speed Figure of 92 he earned winning a maiden special weight sprint in his career debut Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds. He is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner J Boys Echo. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for L & N Racing and trainer Steve Asmussen.