Shug McGaughey

To say that Integration (Quality Road) was facing some quality individuals in year's GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes might be somewhat of an understatement. In that soggy renewal at Keeneland last April, the West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing runner finished third behind Godolphin's Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who stole the show following wins in the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile the previous season. The runner up that day was another Godolphin representative, Group 2 scorer Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), who followed up...

11th-GP, $94K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, T, 5:52 p.m. ET. A $650,000 Keeneland September grad, WEAPONIZED (Gun Runner) makes his first start for N Theory Racing and trainer Brad Cox. The colt is out of Lady Tapit (Tapit), who went for a cool $1.8-million to Whisper Hill Farm & Gainesway during last year's Keeneland November Sale while in foal to Good Magic. This productive mare is also responsible for GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby hero and current sire Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), and her filly Irresistible (Munnings) was purchased for $700,000 by...

'TDN Rising Star' Sand Devil (Violence) had his first work back since a runner-up effort in the GIII Gotham Stakes Mar. 1, covering a half-mile in 49 seconds flat in company on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. Trained by Linda Rice, Sand Devil is targeting the nine-furlong GII Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack Apr. 5--a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the GI Kentucky Derby. "He went nice, went out five-eighths in 1:01 and 2, galloped out three-quarters in 13 and 3--we were very happy," Rice said of the...

The English polymath John Ruskin, who was always hard at work scribbling a well-timed observation for some future generation to co-opt, said when it came to the weather, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." Well, bully for you Mr. Ruskin! Send him a going stick and put him to work on the nearest turf course. Some might care to offer quite a different observation after recent events. What...

6th-Gulfstream, $85,900, Msw, 1-12, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:40.02, ft, 1/2 length. PURE BEAUTY (f, 3, Malibu Moon--Madam Aamoura {SP, $191,120}, by Zensational) was a distant sixth behind subsequent Grade I-placed Quickick (McKinzie) and Snowyte (Good Magic), in addition to GI Frizette scorer Scottish Lassie (McKinzie) in her debut going seven panels at Saratoga last summer. Let go at 14-1 while getting blinkers on for her first start back, the Florida bred was near the back early as longshot United Forever (Unified) cut out a :23.72 opening quarter. Making some headway...

Integration's well-timed throttle management in the more than capable hands of jockey Flavien Prat worked to perfection as the 4-year-old swooped in late to take the featured GII Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday afternoon. After a stellar start to his career in 2023, which saw the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale buy graduate on debut by 6 1/2 lengths over the turf at Colonial Downs, then score in the GIII Virginia Derby and the GII Hill Prince Stakes at the Big A, Integration hit the board in the...

At 76 and with none of his children particularly interested in racing, Stuart Janney, III had to make some decisions about the future of his racing and breeding operations. He didn't want to get out of the sport entirely and he also didn't want to breed mares whose foals won't get to the races for years. So he has decided to disperse his band at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. There, he will sell 13 broodmares and two broodmare prospects. Among others, they are in foal to Good Magic,...

8th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 4:22 p.m. ET. Juddmonte homebred BURNING GLORY (Into Mischief) makes his first start for trainer Bill Mott. The 2-year-old colt is out of SP Hail (Tapit). This dam is a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' and champion older mare Close Hatches (First Defence), who herself produced offspring by Tapit such as current sire Tacitus, 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla and GSW Batten Down. Hail's other prominent sibling is MGISP Lockdown (First Defence), the dam of champion older dirt female Idiomatic (Curlin). From the same shedrow as...

7th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:40 p.m. ET. An $800,000 Keeneland September Sale grad, DAKTO (Quality Road) makes his first start for the ownership group of St. Elias, West Point, Woodford and CJ Stables. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the debut runner is out of Bolton Landing Stakes heroine March X Press (Shanghai Bobby). This dam went to the Parks Investment Group for $560,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while Dakto was in-utero, and is also responsible for GIII Dwyer Stakes victor Fort Bragg (Tapit). TJCIS PPS

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey tells us how he got his unique nickname. He also lets us know who he doesn't like to play golf with. Who do you think is the horse that is closest to his heart out of all of those he has trained? If you thought Easy Goer, you would be wrong. Shug also tells us what his favorite race track is and how long he wants to keep doing this (hint: he isn't going anywhere anytime time soon). Here is the Saratoga Conversation. TDN:...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack handicaps Saturday's five Grade I races at Saratoga, headed by the 155th renewal of the Travers. GI Sword Dancer (Race 9) - Can't envision a scenario where the Sword Dancer doesn't go through either of the Godolphin/Charlie Appleby runners Measured Time (GB) (#2) or Silver Knott (GB) (#4), who both enter off impressive graded wins over the Saratoga lawn. Silver Knott is already proven at this 1 1/2-mile trip and has never been in better form, and we still may not have seen the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey expected a solid performance from Concord Green (War Front) in his career debut at Saratoga Race Course Saturday and the bay colt delivered. After breaking awkwardly from the gate that left him 11 1/2 lengths off the pace after a half-mile in :48.74, Concord Green and Dylan Davis moved into contention on the second turn and finished with authority to win by three-quarters of a length over Davy Crockett (Constitution). Concord Green completed the 1 1/16 miles $100,000 maiden special...