Interview with Jeremiah Englehart
This week I was privileged to interview trainer Jeremiah Englehart. One of the best up and coming trainers, and in my opinion will be one of the best, if not the best, one day. There were hundreds of trainers that I could have reached out to, but he was the one that I really wanted to hear from because he is always honestabout everything. I love his bluntness and sidesteps no questions. Jeremiah Englehart met his beautiful wife Robin nearly 11 years ago. They have 4 children, Raelyn 4 years old, twins C.J and Anna 2 years old, Eli 1 year old and another boy due in August.
Saturday April 11th will be a big day for Englehart. He will be at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He will have in tow Kentucky Derby hopeful Bridget's Big Luvy. The owner of this colt is Tom O'Grady. Jeremiah knows the challenge it will be going up against American Pharoah but with belief, love and some Budweiser, well you just never know. Learn more about this great story here.
Here is my Q&A with Jeremiah:
1. As far as training goes, what is the biggest thing you've learned from your dad?
"The biggest thing I've learned from my dad is most likely the ability to make a horse better and happier. He is extremely good at this. When he gets a horse in his barn, he does a nice job of recognizing a horse’s personality. Figuring out how that horse likes to train and what areas need improving on the animal. This would be the one thing I tried to duplicate from him, his eye."
2. What was it like working with Kenneth McPeek and what does he mean to you? "The job with Kenny was my first job with a string on my own. No matter how ready you think you are, there’s always something that shows you there’s more to learn. Kenny was very good at letting me experience that. I was able to figure a lot of things out for myself, and become better at not duplicating mistakes because of it. The one thing I will remember most about Kenny is what he looks for in buying young horses. I think he is very, very good at it. I’ll let him write the book on that one."
3. Which is your all time favorite horse that you or your dad didn't train? "Easy Goer, to this day I will bring up his races on YouTube. Reminded me so much of my childhood and sibling rivalries. My Brother Jesse’s favorite horse at the time was Sunday Silence. So there were wars in the house when they faced off. As a kid growing up, I was a big fan of Shug and The Phipps stable. No one has been able to knock Easy Goer from my top spot."
4. Is it safe to say that Ria Antonio is your favorite? "Ria will always have a place in my heart, but my favorite of all time is Good Man Sam. He was a blue collar horse that was my first horse that I trained. Still have him at Carlland Farms in Avon, NY. He was a horse that dug me out of some of my low points in racing and in life. I’ll never forget what he did for me. It’s not that I don’t love the others; it’s just that I felt Good Man Sam ran for ME and he knew when I needed him the most. At times it was just him and I and a horse trailer. It didn't matter to him, he always gave me 100%, always."
5. What would you say is the hardest thing about training horses for a living? "Easy, the business end of it. I'm not good with money, and figuring out how to efficiently run a business. With this being said I've gotten a lot better. This is mainly because of my brother Joe who is my Executive Director of JCE Racing. If it weren't for him I’d be working for my parents again or begging Todd or Kiaran for a job! Joe has been working with me for a couple years now and is doing all he can to help me understand the ins and outs of business."
6. Who is your all time favorite jockey? "Favorite Jockey??? I don’t want to offend anyone by saying this, but to me there will never be another Ramon Dominguez. There’s nothing that Ramon is not an A+ at. Every aspect of being a great jockey, and being an even better man Ramon has. He will always be “The Great Ramon” to me. Credit for that nickname goes to Evan Gerwitz of Island Wind Racing."
7. Give me your top 3 choices for the Kentucky Derby. "American Pharaoh, Dortmund, Frosted. This is after Frosted won the Wood but I've been a big believer in him for a long time. He ran like Frosted in the Wood. The two Baffert horses seem better than everyone right now. This has been the best Derby in a long time in my eyes as far as quality goes."
8. Do you think there will ever be another Triple Crown winner? "I believe there will be another Triple Crown winner. I hope we never change anything about the Triple Crown. It’s the truest test of the truest champion. The horses that have won the Triple Crown have been Champions. The next winner of the Triple Crown will be a super horse, and I honestly think this is the year to do it. The quality of the derby will produce a Triple Crown winner this year."
9. What is your stance on Lasix? "I’m pro Lasix now. Last summer I wanted to see the end of race day medication. I like the direction we’ve been going with stricter regulations on what medications can be administered and when. I don’t believe we should ever prohibit Lasix."
10. What are your top 3 tracks? " 1. Saratoga 2. Santa Anita 3. Churchill"
11. Which horse movie is your favorite? "Seabiscuit, although Mike Hushion always wanted me to watch Phar Lap!!"
12. What is your all time favorite movie? “Braveheart, hands down.”
13. Besides spending time with the family and training, Do you have any hobbies? “Playing basketball, I try to play a couple times a week.”
14. Rock or Country? “Country.”
15. Finally If you weren't training horses, what profession might you be in? “I couldn't even begin to think what I’d be doing. I’d probably be a stay at home dad while my wife became a nurse practitioner. I’m not going to lie, I don’t think I’d be very good at it. My wife would definitely agree.”
Saturday April 11th will be a big day for Englehart. He will be at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He will have in tow Kentucky Derby hopeful Bridget's Big Luvy. The owner of this colt is Tom O'Grady. Jeremiah knows the challenge it will be going up against American Pharoah but with belief, love and some Budweiser, well you just never know. Learn more about this great story here.
Here is my Q&A with Jeremiah:
1. As far as training goes, what is the biggest thing you've learned from your dad?
"The biggest thing I've learned from my dad is most likely the ability to make a horse better and happier. He is extremely good at this. When he gets a horse in his barn, he does a nice job of recognizing a horse’s personality. Figuring out how that horse likes to train and what areas need improving on the animal. This would be the one thing I tried to duplicate from him, his eye."
2. What was it like working with Kenneth McPeek and what does he mean to you? "The job with Kenny was my first job with a string on my own. No matter how ready you think you are, there’s always something that shows you there’s more to learn. Kenny was very good at letting me experience that. I was able to figure a lot of things out for myself, and become better at not duplicating mistakes because of it. The one thing I will remember most about Kenny is what he looks for in buying young horses. I think he is very, very good at it. I’ll let him write the book on that one."
3. Which is your all time favorite horse that you or your dad didn't train? "Easy Goer, to this day I will bring up his races on YouTube. Reminded me so much of my childhood and sibling rivalries. My Brother Jesse’s favorite horse at the time was Sunday Silence. So there were wars in the house when they faced off. As a kid growing up, I was a big fan of Shug and The Phipps stable. No one has been able to knock Easy Goer from my top spot."
4. Is it safe to say that Ria Antonio is your favorite? "Ria will always have a place in my heart, but my favorite of all time is Good Man Sam. He was a blue collar horse that was my first horse that I trained. Still have him at Carlland Farms in Avon, NY. He was a horse that dug me out of some of my low points in racing and in life. I’ll never forget what he did for me. It’s not that I don’t love the others; it’s just that I felt Good Man Sam ran for ME and he knew when I needed him the most. At times it was just him and I and a horse trailer. It didn't matter to him, he always gave me 100%, always."
5. What would you say is the hardest thing about training horses for a living? "Easy, the business end of it. I'm not good with money, and figuring out how to efficiently run a business. With this being said I've gotten a lot better. This is mainly because of my brother Joe who is my Executive Director of JCE Racing. If it weren't for him I’d be working for my parents again or begging Todd or Kiaran for a job! Joe has been working with me for a couple years now and is doing all he can to help me understand the ins and outs of business."
6. Who is your all time favorite jockey? "Favorite Jockey??? I don’t want to offend anyone by saying this, but to me there will never be another Ramon Dominguez. There’s nothing that Ramon is not an A+ at. Every aspect of being a great jockey, and being an even better man Ramon has. He will always be “The Great Ramon” to me. Credit for that nickname goes to Evan Gerwitz of Island Wind Racing."
7. Give me your top 3 choices for the Kentucky Derby. "American Pharaoh, Dortmund, Frosted. This is after Frosted won the Wood but I've been a big believer in him for a long time. He ran like Frosted in the Wood. The two Baffert horses seem better than everyone right now. This has been the best Derby in a long time in my eyes as far as quality goes."
8. Do you think there will ever be another Triple Crown winner? "I believe there will be another Triple Crown winner. I hope we never change anything about the Triple Crown. It’s the truest test of the truest champion. The horses that have won the Triple Crown have been Champions. The next winner of the Triple Crown will be a super horse, and I honestly think this is the year to do it. The quality of the derby will produce a Triple Crown winner this year."
9. What is your stance on Lasix? "I’m pro Lasix now. Last summer I wanted to see the end of race day medication. I like the direction we’ve been going with stricter regulations on what medications can be administered and when. I don’t believe we should ever prohibit Lasix."
10. What are your top 3 tracks? " 1. Saratoga 2. Santa Anita 3. Churchill"
11. Which horse movie is your favorite? "Seabiscuit, although Mike Hushion always wanted me to watch Phar Lap!!"
12. What is your all time favorite movie? “Braveheart, hands down.”
13. Besides spending time with the family and training, Do you have any hobbies? “Playing basketball, I try to play a couple times a week.”
14. Rock or Country? “Country.”
15. Finally If you weren't training horses, what profession might you be in? “I couldn't even begin to think what I’d be doing. I’d probably be a stay at home dad while my wife became a nurse practitioner. I’m not going to lie, I don’t think I’d be very good at it. My wife would definitely agree.”
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