Jerkens expectations sky high for Englishman
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Reigning sprint champion Book’em Danno is running Saturday at Saratoga in the Grade 1 Forego, but the current division leader will take center stage a couple of hours earlier, when Englishman goes postward an overwhelming favorite in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.
The Grade 1 Jerkens will be decided at seven furlongs, and due to the imposing presence of Englishman lured just four other 3-year-olds. The challengers are led by Local Knowledge, winner of the Grade 2 Amsterdam, and the rapidly improving Deep Flame. Recent maiden winner Amberjack and former claimer Stickupwithoutagun complete the lineup.
Amsterdam runner-up Solitude Dude was also entered but will scratch to compete instead as the odds-on favorite Friday night at Charles Town in the Robert Hilton Memorial.
Englishman vaulted to the head of the sprint division with a sensational performance here nearly three months ago, drawing away to a 5 3/4-length victory over heavily favored Crude Velocity in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens. The victory avenged the lone blemish on Englishman’s record, a second-place finish to Crude Velocity in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile five weeks earlier at Churchill Downs.
Englishman, a son of Maxfield trained by Cherie DeVaux, completed seven furlongs in 1:20.40 in the Woody Stephens, officially equaling but likely bettering the previous course record set by Darby Creek Road nearly 48 years ago when races were timed in fifths rather than hundredths of a second.
Englishman was awarded a 115 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance, the highest number earned by any horse in a race at a mile or less in 2026. The Beyer was a major reason DeVaux opted to give Englishman a little break rather than wheel him back in the Amsterdam six weeks later.
“He ran so hard, we just wanted to give him some time off to get over the race and not risk him regressing in the Amsterdam,” DeVaux explained. “We spread out his works after that because of the time between races and he’s been training very well.
“I can’t say he’s going to go out and repeat that last performance, as good as that last race was. But I do expect him to go out and run his characteristic race on Saturday.”
Englishman returned to his home base at Keeneland following the Woody Stephens and has had six works, including a bullet five furlongs in 58 flat on July 31.
Obviously, DeVaux’s goal for Englishman is the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
“I’m going to wait and see how both horses come out of their races on Saturday before deciding if they’ll have another start before the Breeders’ Cup,” DeVaux said, also referring to Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who runs later in the day in the Travers.
Local Knowledge went to the sidelines for seven months after capturing his career debut last fall at Keeneland. He finally launched his 3-year-old campaign here on June 6, finishing third under entry-level allowance conditions before bouncing back to win a near stretch-long battle with Solitude Dude and upset the Amsterdam eight weeks later.
“He ran big in the allowance, which in retrospect turned out to be a very strong race. I think five horses came back to win stakes out of it,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Local Knowledge for Spendthrift Farm. “Then he stepped up and ran even better in the Amsterdam.”
Pletcher acknowledged that the Allen Jerkens will be a major class test for Local Knowledge, especially considering the formidable presence of Englishman.
“If that horse [Englishman] runs the same race he did last time, obviously it’s going to be a difficult assignment,” Pletcher admitted. “But you can make the case his third race off the layoff will be his best race, this is the next logical step for him, and you’ve always got to give it a try when you feel you only have one horse to beat.”
The connections of Deep Flame are echoing similar sentiments when it comes to their sprint specialist moving into Grade 1 competition for the first time off a pair of one-sided victories earlier this season. The modest streak features a 5 3/4-length triumph in the Grade 3 Maxfield Stakes at Churchill Downs for which he earned a lifetime-best 103 Beyer Figure. Deep Flame, a Juddmonte homebred by Into Mischief, is trained by Brad Cox.
“Obviously a big step up here against Englishman but we have to take a shot as well as he’s doing,” said Cox’s son and assistant Blake Cox. “It took him a few tries to finally break his maiden, but we thought a lot of him all along.
“He ran a huge number last time and it was a big run from the horse his first time facing winners and stakes company. Hopefully we can get another big effort out of him Saturday.”
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