Englehart proud of Pat On the Back following dramatic Commentator victory

ELMONT, N.Y. – Personally, trainer Jeremiah Englehart wasn’t enjoying his Memorial Day holiday, battling allergies and a sinus infection as he watched the proceedings at Belmont Park from his home in Saratoga.

“I wasn’t having a lot of fun watching until his race,” Englehart said.

Englehart was referring to Pat On the Back, who lifted the trainer’s spirits with a gritty nose victory over the equally gutsy Giant Expectations in a thrilling renewal of the $200,000 Commentator Stakes, the featured event of the 11-race Empire Showcase Day card. Pat On the Back, who had lost a nose decision to Diversify in this race in 2018, outgamed Giant Expectations, who overcame a bad stumble at the break to run a monster race.

“That’s why we wake up in the mornings is to have a feeling like that with a special animal like him,” Englehart said Wednesday from Saratoga. “He puts it all on the line all the time.”

Englehart said he was speaking with jockey Dylan Davis at Saratoga on Tuesday and Davis pointed out just how hard Pat On the Back tried in that race.

Englehart said Davis told him: “At the sixteenth pole it felt like he was going to let that horse go by, but if you watch later on in the race he tried to keep his head in front of the other horse’s head. You can actually see him do a double bob where he tried to make sure he was going to stay in front of that other horse.”

Pat On the Back, a 5-year-old son of Congrats, improved his Belmont Park record to 5-3-2 from 10 starts here. Englehart said Pat On the Back would likely have another start at Belmont this meet, with races like the $100,000 Saginaw for New York-breds on June 30 or the Grade 2, $300,000 John A. Nerud Stakes on July 6 as the potential next spots.

Meanwhile, Giant Expectations grabbed the quarter on both front feet and ran down behind, according to trainer Peter Eurton.

“It was like a Game of Thrones battle and we didn’t win the battle,” Eurton said Wednesday from Southern California.

Eurton said Giant Expectations would likely stay in New York until next week before being shipped back to Southern California where he would likely be pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 24. Giant Expectations won the Pat O’Brien in 2017.