SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Friday’s workout tab over the Oklahoma turf course was a limited one, with many trainers canceling scheduled breezes due to morning showers. But there still was some star power amongst the approximately two dozen horses who did work, a list that included Grade 1 Arlington Million winner Fort Washington for trainer Shug McGaughey.
Working shortly after the course opened, Fort Washington went in company with stablemate Signator, the pair cruising an easy half-mile in 52.46, their final quarter in 24.48, with both full of run on the gallop-out, continuing out six panels in 1:16.88. It was the first work for Fort Washington since registering the signature victory of his career to this point, a half-length decision over Grand Sonata three weeks earlier at Colonial Downs in the Million.
“I thought he went well this morning,” said McGaughey. “It was his only official work since his last start, although I have two-minute licked him a couple of times since that race as well.”
McGaughey said he feels Fort Washington has run extremely well all year long save, perhaps, for the Grade 2 Wise Dan at Churchill Downs – even though he was beaten less than two lengths that day as well.
“I drew a line through the race at Louisville. Nothing seemed to go right that day,” McGaughey recalled. “Of course, his race in the Arlington Million makes up for the whole summer. My only worry was would he run a mile and a quarter, and obviously he did. I talked to [regular rider] Junior [Alvarado] after the race, asked him about going a mile and one-half, and he said he didn’t believe it would be a problem.”
With that in mind, McGaughey is planning to send Fort Washington to Kentucky Downs next weekend to go 12 furlongs for the first time in the $2.5 million Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational, which will likely be his lone prep between now and the Breeders’ Cup.
“It’s tough to pass up an opportunity to run for that kind of money,” McGaughey said.
The Hall of Fame horseman was also bullish on the performance turned in by his 2-year-old filly Five Bars, who overcame a horrific start to win at first asking under jockey Joel Rosario in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden here last Saturday.
“She had trained good here. I thought she’d run good. I also thought she’d break with them and, of course, she got smashed leaving there. Joel did a great job instead of rushing her to let her settle, and she finished very well,” McGaughey said. “She’s had a good summer, she’s really filled out, and she got a good education in that first race.”
McGaughey said he’d likely look at either the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland on Oct. 3 or the Grade 1 Frizette at Aqueduct the following afternoon for Five Bars’s next start.
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