Down the Shedrow with Shug McGaughey

Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey has trained four Hall of Famers, 10 champions and nine Breeders' Cup winners since taking out his trainer's license in 1979. Responsible for such luminaries as Easy Goer, Personal Ensign, Lure and Inside Information, the 65-year-old continues to campaign top performers, such as MGISW Point of Entry (Dyanformer), GI Belmont Derby hero Mr Speaker (Pulpit) and Orb (Malibu Moon), who provided the Bluegrass native with his first GI Kentucky Derby victory in 2013.

McGaughey's patient tactics continue to prove successful as his most recent champion was crowned just 12 days ago when Honor Code (A.P. Indy) took home the Eclipse Award for top older male. The “TDN Rising Star's” powerful victories in the prestigious GI Metropolitan H. and GI Whitney S. topped the likes of fellow MGISWs Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) and Tonalist (Tapit) to take home the hardware and add yet another name to McGaughey's already impressive list. After finishing third to American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Oct. 31, the handsome bay retired to Lane's End Farm, where he stands for a fee of $40,000.

“Obviously, we miss him, but it's always nice to know he has a great home at Lane's End,” McGaughey said of his stable's latest champion. “Honor Code has gotten a great reception since he has gone back there and he has a good book of mares. We are looking forward to what happens in the future with him.”

Though Honor Code's retirement leaves an empty space in the barn, McGaughey has many other promising runners set to try and fill it, such as MGSW Ironicus (Distorted Humor) and Honor Code's younger brother Morse Code (Tapit).

MORSE CODE (c, 3, Tapit)

Lane's End Racing's Morse Code looks poised to follow in his big brother Honor Code's hoofprints after unleashing an impressive late rally to finish second in his Aqueduct debut Nov. 20.

“I couldn't get him going the way I wanted to, so I sent him up to Ocala. He's got some bone bruising, so he is going to get a couple of weeks walking and probably 60 days of turn out. No big deal. He just needs some time.”

IRONICUS (h, 5, Distorted Humor)

An impressive winner of Pimlico's GII Dixie S. May 16, Ironicus captured a Belmont allowance next out July 8 before falling just a neck short to GISW Grand Arch (Arch) in Saratoga's GII Fourstardave H. Aug. 15. The Stuart Janney homebred returned with a vengeance next out with a course record-setting victory in the Spa's GII Bernard Baruch H. Sept. 7 (video), stamping himself as a major contender for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Unfortunately, a fracture was discovered in the gray's right front cannon bone that required surgery just two weeks later and he has been on the sidelines since.

“He's back in training now in Ocala. He has three weeks or so of jogging and Niall Brennan's Aquaciser and he's back on track now. He's about ready to start galloping. He should be back around April.”

BROWSE (f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro)

Phipps Stable homebred Browse was tabbed a “TDN Rising Star” after a dominating 6 1/4-length victory in her Dec. 6 unveiling at the Big A (video).

“She is at Payson Park and is doing some light breezing right now. She is doing fine. We will hopefully get her in a race in the first part of March.”

HOLD HARMLESS (f, 3, Blame)

Third in her career bow over the Aqueduct main track Nov. 11, Janney homebred Hold Harmless overcame the 13-hole to score an impressive victory when switched to the turf at Gulfstream Jan. 2 (video).

“We are just waiting for the next A-other-than grass race for 3-year-old fillies going around two turns. I was very pleased with her race [last time]. I thought it was a pretty competitive maiden race and for her to have the outside and be able to come up the fence like that, especially for a filly that had just run one time, I thought it was very good. She's been one we sort of tagged all along as being okay.”

NORUMBEGA (h, 6, Tiznow)

Winner of the 2014 GII Brooklyn Invitational S., Norumbega spent 15 months on the bench from August 2014 to November 2015. Sixth in his return at Aqueduct Nov. 21, the Janney homebred was fourth last time at Gulfstream Dec. 31 and most recently fired a half-mile bullet in :49.60 at Payson Park Jan. 24. The gray is entered in the fourth race at Gulfstream Thursday, a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer.

“He's doing well. He's trained well. He just really hasn't gotten his kind of race. We ran him a mile around one turn at Aqueduct. I thought he ran good that day. Then I came back [to Florida] and I ran him a mile here and he finished up nicely. I've just been waiting for a two-turn race. He really wants to run farther than a mile and a sixteenth, but I think he is in the right spot tomorrow and I think he will make a good account of himself.”

CARRUMBA (f, 4, Bernardini)

With three wins and three seconds from six career starts, Carrumba has been a force to be reckoned with on the New York circuit. The Phipps homebred was overtaken late by Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) to miss by just a head last time in Aqueduct's GIII Comely S. Nov. 28, finishing 7 1/2 lengths clear of the third-place finisher (video).

“I thought [the Comely] was a very good race. A nice filly beat her that had more experience than she did really. She just got beat down on the inside and I thought she ran very well. I gave her 30 days off after that race. She is back training now at Payson and she is not far from breezing, probably a couple of weeks. I'd like to get [a race] into her by the first of April, if not the end of March.”

FIRE AWAY (c, 4, War Front)

Phipps Stable runner Fire Away closed out his sophomore campaign with a pair of optional claimer victories in New York. The homebred's latest success came in a 1 3/8-mile turf test at the Big A Nov. 13.

“He's been working fine at Payson. He's been doing really well. I just don't really have the right spot and place to run him, so I didn't work him this past week because I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I think he is probably better going a little farther than a mile and an eighth. I think he has the chance to be a really nice horse. If there is a right spot for him, I'd run him down here, but I'm just going to wait and see what develops.”

INSPECTOR LYNLEY (c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid)

Fourth on debut over the Belmont lawn Oct. 18, Inspector Lynley missed by just a neck next out at Aqueduct Nov. 28, finishing 7 3/4 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher. The Janney and Phipps homebred finished a close second yet again last time on the sod at Gulfstream Jan. 2.

“I thought [his last race] was very good. He had the 14 post and had to make up all that, so I thought he ran very good. He is one that we have high hopes for. He runs the first week of February.”

MY IMPRESSION (f, 3, Sky Mesa)

Eighth in her career bow over the Belmont turf course Oct. 17, My Impression has been unstoppable since. Breaking her maiden on the sod at Aqueduct next out Nov. 27, the Janney homebred scored a good-looking optional claiming victory at Tampa Jan. 20 (video).

“I thought her race was very good. I was very pleased with it. She was able to track horses. She looked like she was the best all of the way and when he got her free, she was able to kick on and finished up well. I was very pleased with the way she's done this winter and the way she ran the other day. I'll find a spot for her. I'm not sure where or when. Her best races are probably going to be farther than a mile or a mile and sixteenth, but I'm probably going to have to run her at a mile and a sixteenth just to keep her going. I think once we get to those longer races this summer, a mile and an eighth will be right up her alley.”

“Her next race will probably be a stake because there won't be a two-other-than allowance race for straight 3-year-old fillies, so it will probably be a little stake.”

SAIL AHOY (c, 3, Bernardini)

A second-out graduate at Belmont Sept. 12, Sail Ahoy finished fourth in the GI Champagne S. there three weeks later. Third behind the undefeated Mohaymen (Tapit) in Aqueduct's GII Nashua S. Nov. 4, the bay checked in fourth behind that rival last time in that venue's GII Remsen S. Nov. 28. Hailing from a talented Phipps family, the homebred is a half-brother to the aforementioned Point of Entry and MGISW Pine Island (Arch).

“I thought he ran fine [in the Remsen], a bit disappointing, but fine. I just gave him a little bit of time. He's back doing something now at Niall's and he will go to Payson later on. He is one I am not in a hurry with either. He's back training now.”

TOP BILLING (h, 5, Curlin)

Third in the 2014 GII Fountain of Youth S., “TDN Rising Star” Top Billing spent the rest of that season on the sidelines after cracking a cannon bone during a workout. Fourth in his return at Gulfstream last February, the W.S. Farish and E.J. Hudson, Jr. Irrevocable Trust homebred finished second in a Keeneland optional claimer six weeks later and was fourth in the GIII Pimlico Special S. May 15. Filling that spot again in a Belmont test July 12, the chestnut was a non-factor ninth on the sod at Saratoga Aug. 22 and has not been seen since.

“It was nothing major. It was just a bunch of little things. His feet were bothering him, so we sent him home and gave him a little bit of time. He's breezed one time on the farm in Kentucky and he is at Gulfstream now with me. We could maybe run him at Gulfstream. His best race last year was his race at Keeneland. It was really his only good race. He is still eligible for that same race, so I will probably try to get him ready for that knowing he runs well over that track. I'll probably get a race into him down here before we go all things being equal.”

BOMBS AWAY (c, 3, Smart Strike)

Bombs Away has yet to make it to the races, but has been impressing McGaughey in the mornings, most recently working four furlongs in :51.08 at Niall Brennan Stables Jan. 20. The first foal out GSP Protesting (A.P. Indy), the Phipps homebred traces his lineage back to fellow McGaughey pupil and MGISW My Flag and ill-fated champion Storm Flag Flying.

“I've got one named Bombs Away that I sent home during Saratoga. He was just a little banged up, nothing major. He is by Smart Strike and the first foal out of Protesting. He is one that I like. He is back breezing, so hopefully he will race around the first of March at Gulfstream.”