Shug McGaughey

Talk of the Nation blew away local optional claiming foes last out Feb. 4, and did the same to stakes company here. Off as the chalk breaking from the far outside, the dark bay hopped a bit at the start but was pushed along by Samy Camacho to track from fourth while hung a bit wide. Scrubbed on to assert three deep entering the lane, he seemed to be stuck in neutral for a few strides while figuring out his leads, but as soon as he found his footing he...

Trainer Robert "Robbie" Medina has opened a public stable based out of Lexington, KY and is now accepting new clients. Since April 2020, Medina has served as the general manager and trainer for Blackwood Stables, the state-of-the-art training center near Lexington. At Blackwood, he focused on breaking, training, and rehabilitation for many of the sport's leading owners and trainers. He also ran horses under his own name at Kentucky tracks for a few select clients, including August Dawn Stable's Gun Runner S. winner Play Action Pass (Cairo Prince), who was...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:07 p.m. Debut filly HOLLYWOODLAND (Quality Road) was a $500,000 KEESEP purchase as a yearling by owner Joseph Allen, who bred and campaigns recent GIII La Prevoyante S. winner Personal Best (Tapit). This filly's dam, Union City, is a sister to MGSW Dixie City, whose own offspring Reef Point (Giant's Causeway) produced MGSW Bubble Rock (More Than Ready). Not to be outdone, Union City is responsible for GII Peter Pan S. hero Unified (Candy Ride {Arg}). Breaking from the...

Charting a consistent if unremarkable course heading into Saturday's GIII Claiborne Swale S. at Gulfstream, Courtlandt Farms' General Jim (Into Mischief) turned things up a notch, exploding from off the pace to collar favored Super Chow (Lord Nelson) late en route to a one-length score. Sent off the 8-5 second choice behind 4-5 choice Super Chow, already a three-time stakes winner, the Shug McGaughey trainee broke awkwardly from his inside draw, but was quickly straightened out by regular pilot Luis Saez as Super Chow ran up to contest the early...

3rd-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.55, fm, neck. ALLAMERICANBEAUTY (f, 3, Into Mischief--Apologize, by Lemon Drop Kid), debuting as the favorite at Aqueduct Dec. 4, finished just off-the-board in the slop that afternoon. Shipping to Shug McGaughey's southern base, the $700,000 KEESEP purchase trying turf, two-turns and Lasix for the first time, passed with flying colors. Racing mid-pack around the clubhouse turn, the 6-1 shot settled just to the outside of King's Secret (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Around the far turn, the pace quickened enough for the bay...

5th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:09 p.m. ET Missourians Robert and Lawana Low purchased SGT. PEPPER (Uncle Mo) for $1.6 million at the 2021 FTSAUG sale. Bred by Bobby Flay Thoroughbreds, he will make his debut sprinting on the dirt with Lasix in South Florida for the Todd Pletcher barn. Sgt. Pepper, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, is a half-brother to GSW Spice Is Nice (Curlin), who fetched $1.05 million from these same connections at the 2018 KEESEP sale. Sgt. Pepper's dam Dame Dorothy (Bernardini), owned and campaigned by Bobby Flay,...

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}--Reunited, by Dixie Union), winner of the 2019 GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, was euthanized Friday after suffering a bout of colic. Bred and raced by W.S. Farish, the 6-year-old stood his first season at stud at the Farish family's Lane's End Farm this past spring. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor was second in the 2018 GI Champagne S. He won the GII Fountain of Youth S. the following March before finishing third in the GI Florida Derby...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 12:20 p.m. A $700,000 Keeneland September pick up last year, ALLAMERICANBEAUTY (Into Mischief) makes her afternoon bow Sunday for trainer Shug McGaughey and owner Courtlandt Farms. Out of a full-sister to MGSW Aurelia's Belle, this is the family of champion 2-year-old filly Althea (Alydar), MGSW Atelier (Deputy Minister), GISW Aldiza (Storm Cat), and GSW Altesse (A.P. Indy)-two of whom were also trained by McGaughey. Allamericanbeauty worked a near-bullet four furlongs from the gate in :48 (3/125) Nov. 20 and...

Enjoy your day at the Big A. Led by the GI Cigar Mile H. and three other graded events, Aqueduct's loaded 10-race card will be in the spotlight in South Ozone Park Saturday. Zandon (Upstart), winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third-place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby this spring, cuts back to a one-turn mile for Chad Brown in the feature. The dark bay, favored at even-money on the Cigar Mile's morning-line, also finished third in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and second in the GI...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. CALIFORNIA Track: Del Mar Date: 11/20/2022 Licensee: Ian Kruljac, trainer Penalty:...

As many people are aware, I have been a member of WHOA and a supporter of HISA from the beginning. I want what we all want. Uniform and sensible medication rules and testing that promotes the integrity of our sport while protecting the innocent and punishing the cheaters. So when I received a call advising me that a horse I help manage was disqualified for an acepromazine positive, I was surprised to say the least. My initial reaction and explanation to the owner was the horse must have had the...

Trainer Shug McGaughey, III has been suspended 30 days and fined $500 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) after one of his trainees, Smokin' T (War Front), tested positive for a metabolite of acepromazine after finishing second in the $200,000 Audubon S. at Churchill Downs June 4. But McGaughey won't be out of action for an entire month. The Nov. 20 ruling stated that the Hall-of-Fame conditioner will only have to serve half of that suspension because of "mitigating circumstances (number of violations in relation to overall record)." The...