McGaughey mapping out plans for weekend winners

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Patience has paid off for Signator who looks to be reaching the potential his connections hoped for after he won his maiden as a 2-year-old last fall at Aqueduct.

On Sunday, Signator drew clear to a 2 1/2-length victory in a race that will likely have him stakes-bound for his next start. Though the horse is headed to South Florida this week to continue training, trainer Shug McGaughey mentioned the $150,000 Queens County Stakes on Dec. 31 at Aqueduct as a potential spot for his stakes debut.

“He’ll go to Florida, but he could come back,” said McGaughey, who trains the son of Tapit for West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, and Gainesway Stable.

Sunday’s win was Signator’s second straight allowance score, the previous one coming in a one-turn mile race over a sloppy track. Sunday’s race was run at 1 1/8 miles over a fast track, and Signator covered the distance in 1:50.32 and earned a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I think it was a big jump forward, that’s what I’ve been looking for,” McGaughey said. “Just had to have some patience and take our time. Blinkers helped, the distance helped, and racing helped.”

Signator won his maiden going a mile here at age 2 last October, but didn’t race again until August. He lost his first three starts this year before putting it together in his last two outs.

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“He just needed racing. I didn’t want to be pounding on him. I made up my mind I’d let the races bring him to where I needed to bring him to, and it worked,” McGaughey said.

Signator’s victory capped a solid weekend for McGaughey, who on Saturday sent out Smokin’ T to win the Grade 3 River City Stakes at Churchill Downs, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

Smokin’ T won for the fourth time in eight starts this year, a record that includes a victory in the Lure Stakes at Saratoga.

McGaughey said he would consider the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park for Smokin’ T’s next start.

“I really like the way he ran” Saturday, McGaughey said. “He keeps improving, he showed a really good turn of foot. I keep wanting to give him a break, but he won’t let me.”

McGaughey said Smokin’ T is already at Payson Park in Florida.

This weekend, McGaughey plans to run Integration in the Grade 2, $250,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Aqueduct.

Integration, a son of Quality Road, is 2 for 2, with both wins coming at Colonial Downs including the Grade 3 Virginia Derby on Sept. 9. With his first two races coming four weeks apart, McGaughey said it was by design to wait two months for this race.

McGaughey said that Integration injured a splint bone earlier in the year. He sent him down to Fair Hill, a training center in Maryland, “and he did really well down there” leading up to his first two starts at Colonial Downs.

The Hill Prince is one of six turf stakes being run this coming weekend as this is scheduled to be the final week of turf racing for the year on this circuit.

Others pointing to the Hill Prince include Freedom Trail, Laurel Valley, Classic Catch, Equitize, I’m Very Busy, and Faraday.

Saturday’s card also will include the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship.

Thin White Duke and Our Shot, the first- and third-place finishers from the Harvey Pack Stakes on Sept. 2 at Saratoga, are expected, as are Nothing Better, Alogon, Dancing Buck, Fore Harp, and Wit.

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The turf season is expected to conclude Sunday with the running of the $135,000 Forever Together Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles and the $120,000 Central Park Stakes for 2-year-olds going one mile.

The turf stakes action kicks off Friday with the running of the $150,000 Autumn Days, headed by Dance Macabre, and the $120,000 Tepin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

◗ Big Everest earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for his three-quarter-length victory in Sunday’s $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes. It was the second straight year that Big Everest, trained by Christophe Clement for Dean Reeves, won the Artie Schiller.

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