Aqueduct: McLaughlin runners waiting for stakes spots

Though Kiaran McLaughlin’s stable will be represented in Saturday’s $100,000 Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct, it will be with the maiden winner Sustainable and not the Ruthless Stakes winner Mamdooha.

Mamdooha, who has won three consecutive races after losing her debut, is being pointed to the $100,000 Cicada Stakes on March 15, said Art Magnuson, McLaughlin’s New York-based assistant.

“We figured we’d skip one of them, instead of being in all of them, just freshen a little bit,” Magnuson said.

Long River, winner of the Evening Attire Stakes on Jan. 18, was not even nominated to the $100,000 Stymie Stakes here on Feb. 15. Magnuson said McLaughlin and Darley U.S.A. president Jimmy Bell are still mulling over that colt’s next spot, which could include the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 8 or the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct on March 22.

“Kiaran and Mr. Bell are deciding the next step,” Magnuson said. “Me, looking at him every day, he’s training very well.”

McLaughlin and Shadwell Stable will be represented in the Stymie by Farhaan, five-length winner of the Lord of the Night Stakes here on Dec. 29. That was his first win on a dirt surface, albeit the track was sealed and good that day.

“He’s training better and better. He’s relaxing more,” Magnuson said. “He’s run very well on a fast track, but there’s no doubt he prefers a little moisture in it.”

Magnuson said that Baratti, a six-length winner of a two-turn maiden race here on Jan. 10, is doing fantastic after missing a few days of training due to a temperature. An allowance race or the Gotham are possibilities for Baratti, a 3-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro.