Shug McGaughey

There is no such thing as a sure thing in horse racing, but 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) will be bet as if Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic--a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 5--is already the proverbial fait accompli. And why not, really? His four towering victories in as many trips to the races have come by an average winning margin of better than 13 lengths. His lowest Beyer Speed Figure is a downright pedestrian 105 earned for his debut just...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - It is very much an understatement to say that during the first week of August 2019, West Point Thoroughbreds and their partners really got it right when purchasing two yearling colts. Maybe even struck gold. Time will tell. On Monday, Aug. 5, 2019 at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale, West Point, headed by president and CEO Terry Finley, and a group of investors went to $1 million for Hip 80, a son of Tapit out of Feathered (Indian Charlie). He was the session topper. Named Flightline, the lightly...

Imagining (Giant's Causeway--Daydreaming, by A.P. Indy) was euthanized Aug. 23 due to complications from colic, according to a release from Anchor & Hope Farm. The 14-year-old, who won the GI Man O' War S. in 2014 for Phipps Stable and Shug McGaughey, was under the care of veterinarians at New Bolton Center, where surgery was attempted, but the damage was deemed too severe. "Imagining has been with us since the start in 2015. We want to thank Shug McGaughey and the Phipps family for trusting us to bring a Grade...

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-6, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.06, fm, 2 1/4 lengths. BATTLE OF NORMANDY (c, 2, City of Light--Adorable Miss {MSW, $162,590}, by Kitten's Joy), a $500,000 FTSAUG yearling, was drawn widest of all in post seven in the Whitney day opener and chased in an outside fifth rounding the clubhouse turn in this grassy debut run. The 3-1 shot stayed out in the clear in third down the backstretch, began to make his move while three-wide on the far turn and came charging down the stretch to forge...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MCGAUGHEY UNVEILS SON OF STAR PUPIL 1st-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05 p.m. EDT Shug McGaughey unveils a colt by one of his top former pupils in CAPTURE THE FLAG (Quality Road). He is the second foal out of American Grade I winner and European Group 3 winner War Flag (War Front), who is a full to G1SW Lines of Battle. She is also a half to GSW Homebound (Dixie Union) and SW & GSP Blue Exit (Pulpit). Ian Wilkes also saddles a well-bred...

Snap Decision (Hard Spun) may be the best jumper in the country, but his next assignment will be in a flat race, Wednesday's $150,000 Colonial Cup at Colonial Downs. As trainer Jack Fisher sees it, he's got nothing to lose. While he wants to win and doesn't think that is out of the question, Fisher said one of the reasons he went into the race is that it should set his horse up for the G1 Jonathan Sheppard S., an Aug. 17 steeplechase at Saratoga. "If nothing else, this will...

In a stretch-long battle reminiscent of the 2019 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, in which the Todd Pletcher-trained Vino Rosso (Curlin) was controversially taken down for interfering with the Shug McGaughey-conditioned Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), the former's Dynamic One (Union Rags) outslugged McGaughey's 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin) to eke out the victory in Saturday's GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park. The rail-drawn Untreated (Nyquist) hit the ground running and enjoyed an easy time of things up front, as defending champion Max Player (Honor Code) applied only...

'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) makes his belated seasonal bow Friday in the GII Penn Mile S. A perfect two-for-two, the Bass homebred rallied to an impressive debut victory going two turns at Saratoga Sept. 4 and followed suit with a win in Belmont's GII Pilgrim S. Oct. 3, earning a field-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure. Originally scheduled to go on to the Breeders' Cup, the bay was sidelined by a hind ankle chip. Shug McGaughey saddles another talented son of War Front in Fort Washington. Graduating at second...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few veteran trainers here.     Mark Casse: I think it has to stay the same. I think it's nonsense to talk any different. This is history, this is...

5th-Keeneland, $109,450, Alw, 4-16, (NW1X), 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.75, gd, neck. LIMITED LIABILITY (c, 3, Kitten's Joy--Hold Harmless, by Blame) had just one rival beat for the opening six furlongs of his July 31 debut over the Saratoga turf, only to shoot past the rest of his rivals to graduate by 2 3/4 good-looking lengths. A pace-compromised third as the odds-on choice behind Coinage (Tapit) in the Sept. 1 GIII With Anticipation S. at the Spa, the homebred raced handier to the speed in the Oct. 3 GII Pilgrim S....

Gainesway homebred Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) looks to take her record to three-for-three in Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. A good-looking debut winner going two turns on the grass at Gulfstream Feb. 2, the $220,000 KEESEP buy wired the GIII Herecomesthebride S. in Hallandale Mar. 5, garnering a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Chad Brown can never be ignored in a turf stake and he enters European import Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}). Graduating at second asking in France for her former connections, the bay was privately purchased by Michael Dubb,...

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL--Undefeated Kathleen O. (Upstart) put on a show yet again for an appreciative crowd at Gulfstream Saturday, rallying to another good-looking score in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Earning 100 points for the victory, the Winngate Stables colorbearer moves to the top of the GI Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. Away well from the outside post in this seven-horse affair, the 1-2 chalk sat patiently at the back of pack, racing off the fence just behind second-choice Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) as 25-1 shot Cancel This (Malibu Moon) clocked an...