McLaughlin sends out Mohaymen in search of elusive Remsen win
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The Remsen Stakes has not been kind to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
Dating back to 1998, McLaughlin is winless with seven starters in six runnings of the Remsen, including narrow second-place finishes with Frosted last year and in 2013 with Cairo Prince. He also finished second in 2005 with Flashy Bull.
On Saturday, McLaughlin will try again when he sends out Grade 2 Nashua winner Mohaymen in the Grade 2, $300,000 Remsen for 2-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. The Remsen is carded as race 5 and is one of four graded stakes on a 10-race program that begins at 11:50 a.m. Eastern.
Mohaymen, a son of Tapit, won the Nashua despite acting up in the paddock and at the gate before the race.
“We schooled him at the gate a few times,” said McLaughlin.
Trainer Chad Brown won last year’s Remsen with Leave the Light On. On Saturday, he sends out the uncoupled entry of Gift Box and Flexibility. Gift Box, a son of Twirling Candy, comes off a maiden victory over next-out winner Seymourdini. Flexibility, a New York-bred son of 2005 Remsen winner Bluegrass Cat, finished second behind Mohaymen in the Nashua.
Trainer Shug McGaughey has won the Remsen four times, including in 2013 with Honor Code. He sends out Sail Ahoy, who gets blinkers for the first time after running third in the Nashua.
Donegal Moon, a maiden winner last out at Keeneland, Ravenheart, Hunter O’Riley, Runaway King, and Marengo Road complete the field.
The Remsen offers a total of 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1).
Key contenders
Mohaymen (Last 2 Beyers: 89-87)
* Defeated next-out winner Seymourdini in his Sept. 19 debut and successfully stretched out from six furlongs to win the one-mile Nashua. He now tries two turns and 1 1/8 miles for the first time.
“The mile and an eighth is an unknown for all of us, but he’s done everything right so far [and] is doing great,” said McLaughlin. “We’re looking forward to running.”
* Gets Lasix for the first time. Though McLaughlin generally has good numbers with first-time Lasix, he is only 1 for 10 using it for the first time in a graded stakes over the last three years.
Gift Box (Last 2 Beyers: 93-66)
* A troubled start cost him when third in his sprint debut at Saratoga.
* Came back to win his maiden by a nose over Matt King Coal, who finished 18 lengths clear of the third-place finisher, in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf maiden race Oct. 3. Matt King Coal came back to win his next start.
* Follows a similar pattern to last year’s Remsen winner, Leave the Light On – also trained by Brown – who won an off-the turf maiden race at Belmont.
Sail Ahoy (Last 3 Beyers: 85-81-73)
* Gets blinkers after having too much ground to make up when third in the Nashua here Nov. 4.
“I’m just trying to get him in the race a little bit better,” said McGaughey. “I was a little bit disappointed in his falling as far back as he did in the Nashua.”