Shug McGaughey

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...

7th-DMR, $75K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 8:02 p.m. ET. Conditioned by John Sadler, Don Alberto homebred UNIQUE POWER (Into Mischief) debuts for his dam--champion older dirt female Unique Bella (Tapit)--who was acquired by the stable for $400,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September Sale. Her own dam is GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song). Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm took this mare home for $3.8 million at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale. Unrivaled Belle's half-sister, Lemon Belle (Lemon Drop Kid), is responsible for GIII Gotham Stakes champ...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--After the impressive win in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last weekend, the chances of the winner, Fierceness (City of Light) showing up in the $1.25, GI Travers Stakes were--take your pick--slim and none. Much has changed in the last few days and now Fierceness may very well be on his way to a date with the likes of Dornoch (Good Magic), Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and the filly, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). "That is what we are thinking about," Hall of Fame trainer...

Unmatched Wisdom (Cairo Prince) went right to the front for the third time in his career and secured his career first black-type win in the Curlin Stakes. A standout debuter May 10 over a muddy Belmont Big A mile maiden, where he won by 6 1/4 lengths, he was last seen delivering a similarly eye-catching effort against first-level allowance company at that venue June 22 stretching out to this stakes' distance for the first time. Quick to the front from the rail after a sluggish break and outfooting a would-be...

Debuted at Gulfstream in January, Corporate Power has continued to be on the improve for Shug McGaughey, breaking his maiden in his second start Feb. 24. Shipped to New York, he came up 1 1/4-length short of Unique Insight (Gun Runner) as the favorite facing allowance horses over a sloppy/sealed track Apr. 12 but still posted a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Stepped up in class and racing with the addition of blinkers Saturday in his stakes debut, Corporate Power flashed early speed but was outrun and had to race...

Baltimore, MD-All eyes turn to Baltimore this weekend where Pimlico features an eight-race graded showcase, beginning with Friday's GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. card, featuring 3-year-old fillies. Installed the 5-2 morning line favorite for the nine-furlong test, Madaket Stables and Slam Dunk Racing's Corposo (Vino Rosso) ran an even race in the Apr. 6 Santa Anita Oaks, but could only finish third, beaten eighth lengths, by Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon). "I don't think she's going to cry about the distance too much, at least that's what her...