Pat On the Back kicks off season in a familiar spot

ELMONT, N.Y. – With the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap in the back of his mind, trainer Jeremiah Englehart will have the talented New York-bred Pat On the Back make his 5-year-old debut in Friday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success, the opening-day feature at Belmont Park.

Though Affirmed Success was a Kentucky-bred millionaire earner, the race in his honor is restricted to New York-breds at six furlongs.

Pat On the Back, a son of Congrats, ran second in this race last year in what would be his final start for trainer Ken McPeek. He was turned over to Englehart by the ownership group, which includes Harold Lerner, in part because McPeek only maintained a New York string during Saratoga.

After coming within a nose of beating Diversify in the Commentator Stakes, Pat On the Back would go on to win the Saginaw and Empire Classic before finishing his campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Noting Pat On the Back’s affinity for Belmont’s main track, Englehart said a good effort in the Affirmed Success could earn the horse another Grade 1 opportunity.

“I don’t think we’d ever rule out the Met Mile if he was doing really good,” said Englehart, adding Belmont is “a place where you got to take advantage. It’s his favorite track, best distance. If he was ever going take a shot and he was doing extremely well that would be the spot where we’d probably take a shot.”

Though he seemed to do better at middle-distance races last year, Pat On the Back was good enough to win the Ontario County Stakes going six furlongs at Finger Lakes two years ago.

Pat On the Back drew post 4 in a field of eight entered Saturday for Friday’s Affirmed Success.

The field includes Eye Luv Lulu, who won this race last year by three-quarters of a length over Pat On the Back, and Celtic Chaos, who won this race in 2017. Bavaro, Runaway Lute, Sudden Surprise, Tribecca, and Syndergaard also were entered.

Friday is the first of 48 cards at Belmont, with the meet running through July 7.