Month: November 2023

West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's undefeated graded stakes winner Integration set to make his New York debut in Saturday's $250,000 Hill Prince (G2), a 1 1/8-mile outer turf test for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

Trained by Shug McGaughey, the Quality Road colt is perfect through two starts at Colonial Downs, drawing off to a 6 1/2-length score in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Aug. 12 and prevailing with a five-wide run over Grade 1 winner Program Trading in the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby(G3) on Sept. 9.

“His two races have been really good. He had a little break as there wasn't really any place to run him that I like,” McGaughey said.

Produced by Grade 1 winner Harmonize, by Scat Daddy, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipon Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase from the Brookdale Sales consignment has breezed back eight times over the all-weather surface at Fair Hill Training Center, including an easy three-eighths in :39 flat Saturday.

“He's been training well out there every week on the Tapeta and he seems to like it — we'll see,” McGaughey said.

McGaughey will unveil a well-bred 2-year-old on Friday at Aqueduct in Corporate Power, a Curlin bay out of the Quality Road mare Road to Victory, who is best remembered for turning back Monomoy Girl in the 2017 Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs. Corporate Power is also a half-brother to debut maiden winner Willakenzie.

Owned by Courtlandt Farms, the $925,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase from the Gainesway consignment has breezed extensively at Belmont Park, including four works from the gate, in preparation for his debut in the Friday opener, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight sprint over the main track.

“He's training good. I'm pleased with him and pleased to get to run him,” McGaughey said. “He worked good out of the gate here the other day. We've got into him pretty good.”

Stuart Janney III's multiple graded stakes-placed Kentucky homebred Limited Liability registered a 95 Beyer for a closing sixth-place finish in Saturday's Red Smith (G2) over firm footing here.

The 4-year-old Kitten's Joy gray rallied from 10th to finish 2 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Master Piece (CHI).

“He wasn't beat that far, but he only ran in spots,” McGaughey said. “He's on his way to Florida and we'll see if we can't figure him out.”

Limited Liability has banked $417,448 through a record of 13-3-1-5.

McGaughey did enjoy success Saturday at Churchill Downs when DATTT Stable's Kentucky homebred Smokin' T made the grade in the River City (G3), a 1 1/8-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up.

With John Velazquez up, the 4-year-old War Front colt settled in seventh but made an early move to take control at the stretch call and power through the wire a 1 3/4-length winner to register a career-best 97 Beyer.

“I was sure pleased with the way he finished up,” McGaughey said.

McGaughey said Smokin' T could come under consideration for the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

“That could be something to think about. I keep wanting to give him a rest and he won't let me. He left for Florida today,” McGaughey said.

Smokin' T sports a record of 8-3-1-4 this year, including a win in the Fasig-Tipton Lure in August at Saratoga.

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Master Piece (CHI) registered a 99 Beyer Speed Figure from his triumph in Saturday's Red Smith (G2) going 1 3/8 miles on the Aqueduct Racetrack inner turf.

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Master Piece equaled the number he earned when capturing last year's Eddie Read (G2) at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar for his former conditioner Michael McCarthy. The 7-year-old Mastercraftsman ridgling ended a seven-race losing streak with his come-from-behind performance in the Red Smith under Jose Lezcano, fending off a late inside rally from multiple Grade 1-placed Soldier Rising to win by a neck.

“He looks good this morning; looks like he's happy,” Dutrow said. “He was good yesterday, that's for sure. He certainly liked that grass course. He got everything his way. It was a beautiful trip and a great ride. All good stuff and I hope it happens again.”

Master Piece joined Dutrow's stable earlier this summer following a pair of third-place finishes at Gulfstream Park graded stakes level for his previous trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. He made his first start for Dutrow when second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer on July 4 over a yielding Widener turf at Belmont Park before finishing a distant tenth in the Arlington Million (G1) on August 12 at Colonial Downs.

Dutrow said the turnaround in form could be due to the cooler autumn weather.

“When he came into us, he got sick and he had to be taken to the clinic for a few days,” Dutrow said. “After we brought him back, he's been doing well. Sometimes the hot weather gets to him. I think he reacts to it, so I was very happy to see him run in the cool weather. I feel that he really likes that a lot better. I hope that in his next few starts he gets to run under conditions that help him.”

Saturday's winning performance could propel Master Piece to the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, where he was seventh in last year's edition of the $1-million race, but Dutrow said he will speak to the ownership group before confirming any plans. Master Piece is owned by Michael Iavarone, Julia Iavarone, Nicholas Zoumas, Dino Baccari, Frank Argano, and Peter Douglass.

“Right now, he's just going to hang out where he is until we decide everything on him. We'll go from there,” Dutrow said.

The Red Smith conquest added to recent high-level prosperity for the Dutrow barn, which also includes a victory in last Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita with White Abarrio. The 4-year-old gray son of Race Day earned a third career Grade 1 victory in the Classic, which came three months following a score in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa, White Abarrio has his sights set on the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

The following day, the Dutrow-trained juvenile colt Where's Chris captured Aqueduct's listed Nashua at 19-1 odds by three-quarters of a length over two-time stakes-winner Book'em Danno.

“All three of those horses that ran big were training big,” Dutrow said. “We were very excited to watch the two white horses run. Chris was just filling in the race until he turned for home. We just had a lot of fun watching all three of them run.”

Dutrow said he would consider the $250,000 Remsen (G2) on Dec. 2 going 1 1/8miles at the Big A for Where's Chris, a son of Twirling Candy.

“He ran big the other day,” Dutrow said. “Might as well look at it. The horse looks like he's doing well.”

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