McGaughey has eye on Curlin Stakes for First Captain

ELMONT, N.Y. – First Captain, a pricey colt who has won around one turn in his first two starts, may get the chance to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles in the $120,000 Curlin Stakes on July 30 at Saratoga, trainer Shug McGaughey said.

McGaughey said First Captain would be nominated to the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes going a mile here July 5, but the idea of stretching the horse out around two turns sounded more appealing.

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First Captain is a son of Curlin out of the graded stakes-winning dam America. First Captain brought $1.5 million at auction and is owned by, among others, West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing, and Bobby Flay, who is the breeder.

First Captain won his debut here going seven furlongs on April 24 and backed that up with an allowance win going a mile on May 29. In that allowance win, First Captain was passed by Hometown, but came back on for a half-length victory.

McGaughey said jockey Jose Ortiz told him First Captain was “very relaxed until that horse came to him and made him run.”