Hartman too busy to fully revel in three-win day

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – You might have thought trainer Chris Hartman had a perfect day by going 3 for 3 on Wednesday at Keeneland, but nope. At the same time, Hartman was going 0 for 3 at Indiana Grand, throwing a tiny wet blanket over an otherwise glorious afternoon.

“Plus, I should’ve killed ‘em at the windows at Keeneland,” Hartman lamented. “I just couldn’t put anything together the right way.”

The vast majority of Thoroughbred trainers put an absurd amount of time into their jobs, and Hartman, 45, is no exception. His Wednesday itinerary included early-morning training at his main Churchill Downs barn, followed by two separate trips to the Fasig-Tipton yearling sales in Lexington – where he bought three horses for clients – sandwiched around his three Keeneland winners.

Combined with all the driving involved, there was precious little time for handicapping, which Hartman enjoys immensely.

“To really do it right, you’ve got to have the time,” he said. “I just had too many irons in the fire.”

By early Thursday, Hartman was tackling the next few dozen tasks on his plate, including entering a couple of 2-year-olds for the Sunday opener of the 21-day Churchill fall meet. Clearly, Hartman is hoping his momentum carries over from Keeneland, where his Wednesday hat trick consisted of Shesomajestic ($7.40), Gettysburg ($5.20), and Baladeen ($7.80).

“I’ve had three five-win days in my career – two at Sunland Park and one at Prairie Meadows,” said Hartman, who has saddled more than 1,300 winners in nearly 26 years as a trainer. “But this was my first three-win day in Kentucky since we moved here [in April 2015]. It was pretty awesome.”

With nearly 50 horses spread among four stabling grounds, Hartman doesn’t have the numbers to threaten the likes of Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Mike Maker, or Dale Romans for leading trainer at the fall meet. But he’s among the innumerable local conditioners who have shown themselves capable of sending out a winner at a moment’s notice.

“That’s what we do, get them ready,” he said. “Right now, I’m trying to liven them back up and get them breathing fire for Churchill.”