Englishman Makes Anticipated Return Thursday at Fair Grounds
NEW ORLEANS (March 18, 2026) – Englishman, a promising 3-year-old colt who dazzled in his lone start as a juvenile, is set to return to the races Thursday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, making his first appearance since a dominant debut at Churchill Downs last fall.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux for C R K Stable, Englishman stamped himself as one to watch Sept. 19, 2025, when he rolled to a 7 1/4-length maiden special weight victory at Churchill Downs under jockey Jose Ortiz. The son of Maxfield covered seven furlongs in 1:21.35 — just two-fifths of a second off the track record — earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure and was named a “TDN Rising Star.”
Following that effort, Englishman suffered a relatively minor injury in October 2025 that sidelined him briefly. He has not raced since but has logged seven steady drills at Fair Grounds in preparation for his return.
He is entered in Race 10 on Thursday, a six-furlong allowance, where he drew the outside post in a field of nine 3-year-olds and was installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite.
DeVaux said the race serves as a steppingstone toward a larger spring objective.
“The target race for him is the Pat Day Mile,” DeVaux said. “With that in mind, we wanted to get a race into him and then give him time. If he puts in another big effort off the layoff, coming back from the injury, this should set him up for the Pat Day Mile.”
DeVaux added that spacing between starts will remain key as the colt progresses through his 3-year-old campaign.
“The spacing works,” DeVaux said. “I feel like he’s the type of horse — he’s going to run a fast race no matter what. So we just have to be mindful of that when we’re mapping out his campaign.”
The Grade 2 $750,000 Pat Day Mile is run on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs.
First post for Thursday’s 11-race card is 12:45 p.m. CT.
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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.
