Aqueduct: McLaughlin making plans for Cairo Prince

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In the paddock before Cairo Prince made his debut Oct. 6 at Belmont Park, one of the colt’s owners asked trainer Kiaran McLaughlin if he had any horses he felt had the potential to make it to next year’s Kentucky Derby.

“This is our best one,” McLaughlin said. “He kind of looked at me surprised, and I said “And I’m not kidding.’ ”

Apparently, he wasn’t.

Cairo Prince backed up his 2 3/4-length victory that day with a visually impressive 2 1/2-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct.

On Monday, McLaughlin was visiting the Churchill Downs website on his iPad to start looking at the schedule of races that offer qualifying points toward next year’s Kentucky Derby.

The $400,000 Remsen on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct offers 17 points (10-4-2-1) to the top four finishers should he elect to run him back in four weeks.

“We have to stop and think about the points system and where we’re going,” said McLaughlin, who trains Cairo Prince for a group that includes Harvey Clarke, who bred but sold 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another. “He was going from six furlongs to a mile, he won easy and that’s what everybody’s dream is to have a Derby horse, so you have to think that way and hope that you get there. It’s not easy.”

Cairo Prince, a son of 2009 Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, ran a mile in 1:37.59 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

Meanwhile, trainer Todd Pletcher said Stopchargingmaria, who won Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Tempted by 10 3/4 lengths, would be pointed to the Grade 2, $400,000 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 30.

Plans for Romansh undecided

Trainer Tom Albertrani always thought highly of Romansh, who had a breakthrough performance Saturday winning the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap by 9 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct and earning a gaudy 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

Now, the question is whether Romansh, owned by Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum’s Godolphin Racing, will remain in the United States or head to Dubai for the winter. Albertrani said that decision would be made by racing managers Simon Crisford and Jimmy Bell. Naturally, Albertrani is hoping to have Romansh, a son of Bernardini, to run in the United States as a 4-year-old.

“We always had high regards for this horse even back at Palm Meadows in March and April, he was one of the nicest 3-year-olds in my barn,” Albertrani said. “It just took a little while for him to mature, I guess. If we can keep him as good as he is right now, he’d certainly be a nice horse for next year.”

Romansh was placed first via disqualification in the Curlin Stakes before running fifth in the Travers and sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby.

“We were hoping to see that kind of performance maybe a little earlier in the season,” Albertrani said. “We always felt he had a lot of talent. We stepped him up fairly quickly off his maiden win to the Curlin and to the Travers. Things were moving a little quick for him, I guess.”