McLaughlin Gears Up for Busy Winter
Updated: November 18, 2015 at 7:11 pm
By Christie DeBernardis
While many of the top horses and barns are beginning to wind down a bit in preparation for the Championship meet at Gulfstream, the Kiaran McLaughlin barn, which is enjoying one of its most successful seasons, continues to charge full steam ahead.
Undefeated “TDN Rising Star” Marking (Bernardini), a son of MGISW Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}) was one of several McLaughlin pupils on the worktab at Belmont Wednesday morning. The bay, who captured both his Belmont debut Sept. 23 and a one-mile Aqueduct allowance Nov. 4 by open lengths, breezed a best-of-29 half-mile in :47.65 in a work his trainer deemed “great.”
The Godolphin runner is nominated to the GI Cigar Mile Nov. 28, but McLaughlin said it is doubtful that he will run there and a trip to the West Coast may be in the cards instead.
“He is only three and it would only be the third start of his life,” McLaughlin told the TDN Wednesday afternoon. “We just think it is a big step up, so it is doubtful that he will go [to the Cigar Mile]. He is doing great. The [GI] Malibu is a possibility at Santa Anita Dec. 26. It is straight 3-year-olds at seven-eighths.”
McLaughlin added that “TDN Rising Star” Watershed (Bernardini) is also possible for the Malibu. An ultra-impressive debut winner at Saratoga Aug. 7, the Godolphin homebred was a respectable fourth in that venue’s GI King’s Bishop S. next out Aug. 29 and was an effortless allowance winner at Keeneland last time Oct. 15.
Shadwell Stable’s undefeated Mohaymen (Tapit), who was the co-topper at last term’s Keeneland September sale when sold for $2.2 million, worked five furlongs in 1:01.12 at Belmont Wednesday in preparation for the GII Remsen S. Nov. 28.
“We put him behind two horses just to take some dirt,” McLaughlin commented. “He has to learn to take some dirt at some point. Junior Alvarado sat on him behind two other workmates and it went very well. He worked great and galloped out very well.”
A half-brother to GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day (Street Cry {Ire}), Mohaymen graduated in his career bow at Belmont Sept. 19 and captured the Big A’s GII Nashua S. last time Nov. 4. (Video)
Godolphin’s GI Wood Memorial S. hero Frosted (Tapit) will sit out the big Thanksgiving weekend races at Aqueduct and Churchill, but he is still actively training towards another big weekend of racing.
“Frosted is training in Florida in hopes of going to Dubai,” McLaughlin remarked. “We are looking at the Dubai World Cup and there might be a prep before [that] over [in Dubai].”
A decisive winner of the GII Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 19, the gray crossed the wire seventh in a blanket finish with Keen Ice (Curlin), Tonalist (Tapit) and Hard Aces (Hard Spun) when last seen in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland Oct. 31.