McGaughey pointing Pentathlon to Westchester

Pentathlon, winner of both his starts this year, including the Army Mule Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 28, is on target for the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester Stakes at Aqueduct on May 3, trainer Shug McGaughey said.

Pentathlon is still in Florida, where on Thursday he worked three furlongs in 36.20 seconds at Payson Park. McGaughey said Pentathlon may have one more work at Payson before shipping to New York at the end of next week.

“He’s won three of his last four. I probably shouldn’t have run him in the [Cigar] Mile,” said McGaughey, acknowledging that race was too close back to his previous win and probably too tough.

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McGaughey said Integration, third in an allowance race at Keeneland on Apirl 8, will be considered for the Grade 3 Dinner Party Stakes at Laurel on May 16. McGaughey already plans to run Fort Washington, last year’s Dinner Party winner at Pimlico, in this year’s race.

Fort Washington went on to win the Grade 1 Arlington Million. He has run twice this year, finishing sixth in the Pegasus World Cup Turf and fourth in the Grade 3 Canadian, both at Gulfstream Park.

◗ Pashmina, runner-up in the Grade 3 Gazelle, worked a half-mile in 47.97 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track. She is pointing to the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Pashmina, working by herself after the first renovation break, went her first quarter in 24.15 seconds, her second quarter in 23.82, and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.56.

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