Shug McGaughey

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:07 p.m. ET A trio of Hall of Fame barns send out five of the eight entrants in this elongated sprint. Todd Pletcher saddles Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's $560,000 KEESEP buy Gate Runner (Arrogate). Out of stakes-placed turf router Nerfertiti (Speightstown), he's half to MGSW dirt sprinter Engage (Into Mischief). Second dam Clearly a Queen (Lucky North) was a hard-knocking MGSW on the lawn. Pletcher will also be represented by Days of Yore (Street Sense), who appears to...

Three-for-three in her young career, Kathleen O. (Upstart) looks to extend her undefeated record in Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. The $275,000 2021 OBS April purchase will stretch out to two turns for the first time, having come from the clouds to break her maiden by a head over seven furlongs at first asking Nov. 21 at Aqueduct. This year, she's put up back-to-back wins at Gulfstream Park, first by a commanding 8 1/2-lengths in the Cash Run S. Jan. 1 and then by two lengths in the GII Davona...

Godolphin's Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and First Captain (Curlin), owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing and celebrity chef Bobby Flay, appear on course for a tilt at the seven-furlong GI Carter H. Apr. 9 at Aqueduct. This term, the former, trained by Bill Mott, has posted a pair of one-turn victories at Gulfstream Park--the GIII Fred Hooper S. Jan. 29 followed by the Mar. 5 GII Gulfstream Park Mile. Last year, he won three starts in New York, including a 6 3/4-length triumph in a Belmont optional...

After beginning the new year with a pair of victories, the streaking Scalding (c, 4, Nyquist--Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro) continued his ascension with a game neck decision over favored Cody's Wish (Curlin) while making his stakes debut in Saturday's GIII Michelob Ultra Challenger S. at Tampa. Dynamic One (Union Rags) was third. The 5-1 chance sat a good trip in an outside third. He set his sights on the leader rounding the far turn as Cody's Wish, a winner of three straight at Churchill last fall, also revved up...

Nobody has missed the explosive impact of Not This Time's second crop of sophomores on the Classic trail this year. But the fact remains that it's actually another stallion in his own intake that we find flirting most plausibly with an elusive distinction, with a chance of joining King Alfonso (1885), McGee (1918), Bull Lea (1952) and Native Dancer (1966) in siring the winners of both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. Okay, so we're getting way ahead of ourselves here. With nearly two months to go, it...

Winngate Stables LLC's very promising Kathleen O. (Upstart) remained undefeated and stamped herself as a leading GI Kentucky Oaks contender with another impressive victory in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream. Backed down to 2-1 favoritism from a 9-2 morning line, the rail-drawn dark bay trailed the deep field of seven early. Up a spot into sixth following an opening quarter in :23.38, she was under a ride rounding the far turn while racing in between horses. Stuck in a little traffic approaching the quarter pole, Javier Castellano found...

A field of seven, including a pair of promising unbeaten 3-year-old fillies, will line up in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream. The rail-drawn Kathleen O. (Upstart) could be any kind after delivering impressively in her first two attempts. The dark bay rallied from the back to post a head-turning 8 1/2-length victory after an eventful start in the track-and-trip Cash Run S. last time Jan. 1. "You never know they're going to be this kind," Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. "She had...

A pair of highly touted sophomores returned to make their 4-year-old debuts with mixed results Sunday. First Captain (Curlin), sent off the 4-5 favorite in a seven-furlong allowance at Gulfstream Sunday, looked to have left himself too much to do before making a furious late rally to win by a head in his first start since finishing third in the Curlin S. last summer. The 'TDN Rising Star' and $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling won last year's GIII Dwyer S. for West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing...

10th-Gulfstream, $56,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-27, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:22.19, ft, head. FIRST CAPTAIN (c, 4, Curlin--America {GSW & MGISP, $580,532}, by A.P. Indy) faced a small but competitive field for his 4-year-old debut, including GSWs Trophy Chaser (Twirling Candy) and Dennis' Moment (Tiznow)--the latter also a 'TDN Rising Star'--as well as black-type winners Real Talk (Gemologist) and Hello Hot Rod (Mosler). A 'TDN Rising Star' himself, First Captain was slowest of all out of the stalls, yet kept in touch with the tightly packed field from the back. Nearly...

A pair of highly regarded sophomores of 2021 are on the comeback trail for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. Courtlandt Farm's homebred Greatest Honour (Tapit--Tiffany's Honour, by  Street Cry {Ire}) was a serious early contender for the GI Kentucky Derby following flashy wins in Gulfstream's GIII Holy Bull S. and GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. last winter. After finishing a flat third as the 4-5 favorite in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27, however, McGaughey decided to hit the reset button on the bay. "I wasn't really pleased...

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Radio Days (Gun Runner) launches her sophomore campaign in Saturday's GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream Park. Owned by Allen Stable Inc. and trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the $750,000 KEESEP graduate made it two-for-two in a blowout optional claiming victory at this same seven-furlong distance at Aqueduct last time Dec. 2. Her worktab includes a four-furlong bullet in :48 3/5 (1/19) at Payson Jan. 12. "She's a filly we're really excited about. Her first two races have been really good," McGaughey said. "She's...

4th-Tampa Bay Downs, $25,000, Msw, 1-26, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:12.62, sy, 7 3/4 lengths. NETTE NETTE (f, 4, Empire Maker--Vaulcluse {SW}, by A.P. Indy), a $950,000 Keeneland September graduate, made the trip up from South Florida and splashed home to debut as a much-the-best winner. Away in mid-division as the even-money pick, the a half-sister to Lukes Alley (Flower Alley), Ch. Older Horse-Can, GISW-US, MGSW-Can, $795,122; and to once-beaten 'TDN Rising Star' Arrifana (Curlin), SW & GSP, $230,400, tugged Pablo Morales to the front after the completion of a quarter-mile....