This is a for-real racehorse, not some four-legged fantasy from Walter Farley: He's got the same record in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) as Hall of Famers Seabiscuit and Cougar II, that is, a win and two seconds.
He has competed in 23 stakes events, 22 of them rated grade 1 or grade 2.
His foal crop included Authentic , Tiz the Law , Honor A. P. , and Swiss Skydiver, all of them long retired to the breeding shed. At the age of 8 he is still, in the parlance of the sport, an "entire horse," which means he someday could add his considerable class to the gene pool.
But that's for later, because Express Train is ready to defy Father Time again Sept. 27 for the C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing in the Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. As a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event, the mile-and-one-eighth main track affair offers the winner a free ride to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) along with the lion's share of a $300,000 purse. Despite success throughout his six seasons of racing, Express Train is yet to compete in a Breeders' Cup.
Earlier this week, trainer John Shirreffs was still basking in the glow of Baeza's victory for the Searings in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) when he was asked the secret to Express Train's longevity.
"Talent," the trainer said. "There's no telling what he could have accomplished if he'd been able to enjoy consistent campaigns without interruptions."
True enough. It looked like the sky was the limit when Express Train broke his maiden by 14 1/4 lengths as a 2-year-old. But then foot and ankle trouble sent him to the sidelines until late summer of his 3-year-old season. (For reference, this was the COVID-impacted season of 2020.) Then, beginning with a second-place finish in the 2020 Malibu Stakes (G1), the son of Union Rags strung together a dozen races that proved he was top tier. They included five major stakes scores, topped by the 2022 Santa Anita Handicap.
Express Train received a well-earned break, but his return to competition lasted only a couple of races before injury struck again. This time it was 18 months before he returned, in April of 2024. Shirreffs has had to tap the brakes twice since then, describing Express Train's maladies as "bugaboos," which is trainer-speak for none of your business. But if his most recent race—a close third going 7 furlongs in the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar—is any indication, Express Train could be bringing his 8-year-old best to the Goodwood.
He will need to be on his game. Godolphin's First Mission is in town for Brad Cox, anxious to erase the taste of his upset last month in the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3), and Full Serrano came back breathing fire with a prep at Del Mar for Hronis Racing and John Sadler, who think the Goodwood will prime their South American for a shot at the Breeders' Cup Classic. Three Bob Baffert 3-year-olds and outsider Ultimate Gamble complete the line-up.
But Express Train has tangled with similar throughout his 27-start career. Should he earn a trip to this year's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, he would return to a surface where he won the 2021 San Diego Handicap (G2) and has placed in two other grade 2 races in 2024-25.
While Express Train has not won in four starts this year, he finished second to Locked in the Santa Anita Handicap and to Katonah in the San Pasqual Stakes (G2). He's already improved on his three starts from 2024 where his best finishes were a pair of third-place efforts.
When he returned to training over the winter, Shirreffs was thrilled to see his continued enthusiasm.
"It's been great to have him back. Very satisfying," Shirreffs told the Santa Anita Park notes team earlier this year. "He's such a good-looking horse and has a lot of brilliance to him. Working with that type of horse is always exciting."
Especially when that work takes place over six seasons of racing.
