A couple of years ago when I was co-hosting a broadcast from Yonkers Raceway on a weekly basis, I noticed something that at the time appeared strange to me. It seemed that many of the leading trainers with great win percentages were not in fact present at the track when their horses were entered to go. Whether accompanied by caretakers or second trainers, it seemed odd to see the named trainer on the program absent. With operations spanning North America, many of today's top conditioners have good reason not to be physically present on-site when one of their own is competing. One face that was always present was Per Engblom. At the time, the former lead assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter was embarking on a new path, having struggled in his first two years to gain traction while racing primarily stakes horses. No matter what the weather conditions or family obligations Engblom was entrusted with, he found a way to be hands-on, seeing to all aspects of the responsibility thrust upon him by ownership. As 2023 winds down it is a pleasant surprise to see Engblom's hard work paying off in a major way. He has started more horses at Yonkers this year than any other trainer (896 as of Dec. 13) and will end the season with a significant edge in the win column (currently leads Ron Burke 218 to 135). As the track embarked on its last few programs of the year, Engblom led perennial kingpin Ron Burke in purse earnings at Yonkers as well, and that is no small feat given Burke's presence in stakes action at the track while Engblom's stable was predominantly overnight based. Now with 90 horses in training at Magical Acres, Engblom is more than comfortable with the direction his stable has taken but is far from resting on his laurels. "We couldn't have done this without an outstanding team," said Engblom of this year's impressive success story. As far as the growth of his stable was concerned: "The support I've gotten from owners like FAC Racing, Evans Nation and Morrison Racing has been incredible." The focus of ownership has been primarily racing locally, and Engbom has obliged not only with his amazing success at Yonkers but solid results at Harrah's Philadelphia as well as the Meadowlands. The rapid growth of Engblom's stable has not limited its success rate. From 2019-21, the first three years Engblom raced as a separate entity from the Takter stable, he sent out a total of 973 horses and won on 172 occasions. As of December 13 this year his stable has won 344 races from 1677 starts, with earnings over $5.8 million, approximately the same amount made during the entire 2019-21 period. "Having my brother [Petter] and his family relocate here last year has made the biggest difference," said Engblom, explaining just how they have managed to accelerate the number of starters without missing a proverbial beat. Over five years ago Engblom would have been spending much more of his Novembers and Decembers away from the racing game and focused primarily on training yearlings and coming 2-year-olds. While the focus of his stable has clearly shifted, Engblom and his owners are slowly combining raceway stock with younger horses. "Last year [2022] we started with just nine babies," said Engblom. "This year we have 23 and the budget was significantly higher." Still, the core of the stable is raceway stock and that means horses that fit the classes and can race over the Yonkers half-mile track. Just this week Engblom entered 33 over five nights at the Westchester County half-mile track (on December 12 his barn won five of the 12 races contested on the card). It's an incredible number and shows just how well Engblom has acquired the horses that fit the classes and had his horses prepared for battle. Another side to the growing stable is taking ownership personally. On that front, Engblom now owns a part of at least 30 horses in his stable, a number that seemed nearly impossible a few years back. "I saw when I worked for Jimmy and Christina [Takter] that's what they were doing," said Engblom of his decision to in his words "Put your money where your mouth is." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Engblom's horses routinely compete in claiming races at Yonkers, but the trainer suggests his group is not as active as others in that capacity. "The purses are so strong that you just have to race in the claiming races, but we are not generally players in that market," said Engblom. Despite last year's limited number of babies to work with, Engblom was able to come up with some nice stock that competed in Sire Stakes competition. The Betterthancheddar-sired Crush Kill Destroy was a primary example of a horse that earned six-figures while coming from humble beginnings. "He's definitely an overachiever," said Engblom of the soon-to-be sophomore that earned six-figures in 2023 with a majority from races in Ontario. "He's a small horse that tries really hard." Hugh Heston was another Sire Stakes player for Engblom's stable, earning $90K racing against top colts in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. "He won the consolation final," said Engblom. Hugh Heston, a son of Heston Blue Chip, could make noise in 2024 sophomore stakes races if he continues to improve. On the trotting side, the filly Go For Gaagaa, a Norwegian-bred daughter of Googoo Gaagaa, had a good year, and Engblom believes she can blossom into something better as a sophomore. The filly hails from the same immediate family as Mr. Muscleman and Plunge Blue Chip. A pair of recent sophomore acquisitions should give Engblom's stable a boost in 4-year-old races in 2024 with the arrival of sub-1:50 performers Huntinthelastdolar and Admiral Hill. "We'll probably race him one more time," said Engblom of Huntinthelastdolar, "Then likely point him towards the Graduate Series." Huntinthelastdolar was a top New York Sire Stakes performer over the last two years. "He paced in (1:)48 and change the other night against older horses," Engblom said. Admiral Hill, a winner in his first trip for Engblom, is a son of Sweet Lou that is eligible to the lucrative Kentucky Sires Stakes program, and that will likely be the focus next year with the stable eying future expansion to the Bluegrass State. "We've talked about setting up a satellite stable in Kentucky," said Engblom, suggesting it's something on the radar that may not occur right away. The trainer and his owners recognize the enormous opportunity in Kentucky, while at the same time understanding the challenges that come with splitting a stable. For now, 90 is likely to be the limit of horses Engblom trains at Magical Acres. While it may be early to predict how the 23 yearlings in training turn out, once racing for them begins next June, Engblom suggested that he has a Chapter Seven-sired colt that he's especially fond of, as well as a colt from the first crop of Tall Dark Stranger. With the Yonkers 2023 season concluding on Thursday, December 21, a majority of Engblom's stock will get a forced four-week vacation (racing tentatively resumes at Yonkers on January 22, 2024). The trainer himself will remain hard at work in order to be sure his horses are primed and ready for action when racing recommences in January. "We'll be racing at the Meadowlands and Harrah's Philadelphia as well," Engblom said with assurance.