Best of Both Worlds
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THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016 BEST OF BOTH WORLDS by Bill Finley The main story last week was not a horse but a trainer. Bob Baffert, fresh off a sweep of the Triple Crown, probably doesn’t have another American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in his barn, but he will be well represented in the GI Kentucky Derby. Baffert won both 3-year-old preps last weekend, taking the GII Rebel S. with Cupid (Tapit) and the Sunland Festival of Racing S. with Collected (City Zip). Baffert doesn’t have a starter in this weekend’s major prep, the GII Louisiana Derby, but there are plenty of top horses from top stables in the race. The contest is Kiaran McLaughlin | Horsephotos a big one for several horses either in the TDN Top 12 or “On The Bubble.” Cont. p6 by Steve Sherack It would be awfully difficult to script a better homecoming than this. Kiaran McLaughlin--a three-time leading conditioner in Dubai and trainer of 2007 G1 World Cup hero Invasor (Arg)--returns to CHROME DRAWS WIDE FOR WORLD CUP the desert with a four-pronged challenge Saturday, headed by 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) has Frosted (Tapit) in the drawn gate 11 of 12 for Saturday’s G1 Dubai World Cup. world’s richest race. He Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. will also be extremely well-represented on the World Cup’s blockbuster undercard with Confrontation (War Pass) (G1 Dubai Golden Invasor wins the ‘07 Dubai Shaheen) as well as ‘TDN World Cup | Horsephotos Rising Stars’ Lady Shipman (Midshipman) (G1 Al Quoz Sprint) and Marking (Bernardini) (G2 Godolphin Mile). After calling Dubai home for the better part of a decade as trainer for the Maktoum family while splitting his time in New York, McLaughlin relocated permanently back to the U.S. in 2003. How important is it to him to be able to compete on an evening like this again? “It means a lot,” McLaughlin replied. “It’s really great to have a chance to win with something on the night again this year, whether it’s Lady Shipman, Marking, Confrontation or Frosted.” Cont. p3 Throwback Thursday and an early birthday. In the second PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord start of his 2008 campaign, [email protected] Curlin (Smart Strike) captured SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER the Dubai World Cup by Sue Finley @suefinley 7 3/4 lengths. The two-time [email protected] Horse of the Year was foaled V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN March 25, 2004. [email protected] Racing Post/Edward Whitaker. EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor: Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor: Steve Sherack @Steve SherackTDN Racing Editor: Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN NINE LATE TRIPLE CROWN NOMINATIONS 10 Associate Editors: Nine horses, including “TDN Rising Star” My Man Sam (Trappe Shot) Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Assistant Editors: were added to the list of nominations for the 2016 Triple Crown during Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN its late nomination phase which closed Mar. 21. Ben Massam @BMassamTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Advertising Manager: Lia Kusch TRIO OF NEW CHALLENGERS EYE FL DERBY 11 Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: A trio of new challengers--Ifyousnoozeyoulose (Wilburn), Sawyers Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin Mickey (Flatter) and Majesto (Tiznow)--have set their sights on Advertising Assistant: Amanda Foster Gulfstream's GI Florida Derby Apr. 2, which features the highly Advertising Assistant: August Pons Social Media Strategist: Nichola Henry anticipated match up of the undefeated Mohaymen (Tapit) and the also unbeaten champion Nyquist (Uncle Mo). MARKETING STRATEGIST Brittlan Wall @BrittlanWall [email protected] CUSTOMER SERVICE [email protected] ENHANCED SECURITY FOR NY GI RACES 11 Director of Customer Service: The New York State Gaming Commission and The New York Racing Vicki Forbes Association will continue enhanced security protocols for horses racing INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Director of IT: Ray Villa in Grade I races with purses of $1 million or more, starting with the Apr. 9 [email protected] GI Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor: Kelsey Riley [email protected] European Editor: Emma Berry [email protected] Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 24, 2016 Best of Both Worlds cont. from p1 “We wanted to go over there to support the Carnival--we love Dubai,” McLaughlin said when asked about having his horses McLaughlin continued, “We are very privileged as ‘Team prep locally this winter. “And, yes, it was important to get a race McLaughlin’ to be involved with one of the greatest teams in over the track with all of them as well.” racing and one of the best teams in professional sports, Frosted, hero of Godolphin. We’re blessed to be with them and happy to be over last term’s GI Wood there running at Meydan.” Memorial and The native of Lexington, Kentucky, hasn’t started a horse on runner-up behind the the Dubai World Cup program since Albertus Maximus’s sixth- mighty American place run in the main event in 2009, the final renewal held at Pharoah (Pioneerof Nad Al Sheba. the Nile) in the “I have great memories of Nad Al Sheba--we had a lot of fun GI Belmont S., kicked there,” McLaughlin reflected. “But Meydan is unbelievable, it’s a off his 4-year-old wow. It’s really incredible. The size of it and the quality of campaign in style everything--the track, seating, viewing and building--is amazing. with a track-record It was great to go see it [in February] because it was just under setting performance Frosted | Horsephotos construction when we left in 2009 after Albertus Maximus ran. in Meydan’s It’s really an unbelievable facility.” G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round Two Feb. 4 (video). The gray, A former assistant to the legendary Hall of Famer D. Wayne also a close fourth in last year’s ‘Run for the Roses’ and third in Lukas, the 55-year-old’s high-powered operation has grossed the GI Travers S., concluded his sophomore campaign with a seven figures in North American earnings for each of the past 14 disappointing seventh in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at seasons, topped by $9.6 million in purses in 2015, good for Keeneland Oct. 31. Last term’s GII Pennsylvania Derby hero, eighth overall in the nation. While Closing Argument came produced by a graded stakes winning half-sister to champion within a half-length of causing a 71-1 stunner in the 2005 GI Midshipman (Unbridled’s Song), heads to the World Cup for a Kentucky Derby–could this be his year?--McLaughlin won his highly anticipated clash with 2014 Horse of the Year California first American Classic with Jazil in the following term’s GI Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Belmont S. He has also trained a pair of Breeders’ Cup winners, The 6-year-old Confrontation, multiple graded stakes placed in including a Classic tally by the aforementioned 2006 Horse of the U.S. for trainer Barclay Tagg and co-owners Eric Dattner and the Year. In addition to his invaluable time spent with the Harry Astarita, was a convincing winner in his first attempt for ‘Coach,’ McLaughlin--diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998-- Godolphin and McLaughlin in the 1600-meter G3 Firebreak S. at also came up under trainers James Burchell, John Hennig, David Meydan Feb. 4 (video). The dark bay was making his first Kassen and Tim Muckler as well as briefly serving as a jockey’s appearance since a second-place finish behind subsequent agent for the late Chris Antley. GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s “Growing up, the Kentucky Derby was my dream because Song) in a salty optional claimer going a mile at Belmont last there wasn’t a Dubai World Cup yet in 1973 when I was June. He cuts back in trip to 1200 meters for the Golden watching Secretariat run,” said McLaughlin, who, of course, Shaheen. Cont. p4 campaigns the East Coast’s leading Derby hopeful Mohaymen (Tapit). “Winning the World Cup [with Invasor] was equally as important as a Kentucky Derby win would be--they’re 1 and 1a for me. Working for the Maktoum family and to be able to go back to their country with a horse they own and win their race in their country--it’s hard to top that. I would love to do it again.” The World On a String... While Invasor prepped for the World Cup with a dramatic win after clipping heels in the GI Donn H. at Gulfstream Park, McLaughlin has taken a different approach with his three dirt runners for the ‘Boys in Blue’ this time around. HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 13 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 24, 2016 Best of Both Worlds cont. McLaughlin’s troops, bar Lady Shipman, joined Charlie Appelby’s Things went much smoother the second time around in Dubai string while kept in isolation in their own barn at Godolphin’s for Godolphin Mile contender Marking. Runner-up to champion Marmoom Stables in Dubai in late January. Kiaran’s brother Neal Runhappy (Super Saver) in the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita Dec. McLaughlin has been overseeing their activity since arrival. Lady 26, the son of two-time Grade I victress Seventh Street (Street Shipman touched down in Dubai in mid-March.