Civil Union rewards McGaughey's strategy in Glens Falls

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Shug McGaughey said to himself he wasn’t going to make the same mistake here this summer with Civil Union that he did several years ago with Apple Betty, running her back too soon in the Grade 3 Waya following her victory in the River Memories just four weeks earlier at Belmont Park.

So McGaughey skipped the Waya earlier in this session with Civil Union after her 1 3/4-length victory in the 1 1/2-mile River Memories, to await Saturday’s Grade 2 Glens Falls. The strategy paid big dividends when the daughter of War Front rallied to a one-length decision over the favored My Sister Nat for her third straight victory and first against graded company.

“Apple Betty finished fourth in the Waya after winning the River Memories, and I kicked myself afterward and told myself I wouldn’t ever do that again,” McGaughey said while watching In Front, another daughter of War Front, work over the Oklahoma turf course Sunday morning. “This filly has just improved, improved, improved this year. I ran her just once in Florida waiting to get her over the bigger track at Belmont. I thought she ran really well when she won the first time there, and she improved again off that race to winning the River Memories.”

:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Civil Union, who earned a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure for her performance Saturday, had trained extremely well leading up to the Glens Falls, with McGaughey’s lone worry going into the race the condition of the turf course.

“Being a War Front, I was a little concerned about the footing because even though they called it firm, it wasn’t,” McGaughey said. "My game plan for her coming up here this summer was the Glens Falls and the 1 1/2-mile race at Keeneland on the 18th (Grade 3 Dowager) and right now that’s still my game plan. Although that could change.”