McLaughlin wins 1,000th race in North America

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin earned his 1,000th North American career victory on Friday when Que Posse scored a 2 1/4-length victory in a $64,000 allowance feature at Aqueduct.

McLaughlin, a former assistant for trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey agent for Chris Antley, began training horses in Dubai in 1993 for the Maktoum family. From 1993-2003, he spent parts of the year in Dubai and part in New York. He was a three-time leading trainer in Dubai, where McLaughlin estimates he won between 300 and 400 races that are not counted in his North American total.

Over the years, McLaughlin, 51, has trained horses that have won 185 stakes. His most accomplished horse was 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor, who won four Grade 1 stakes that year, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Also in 2006, McLaughlin won the Belmont Stakes with Jazil.

In 2005, McLaughlin’s Closing Argument lost the Kentucky Derby by a one-half length to Giacomo.

In 2007, McLaughlin trained Lahudood, the champion turf female who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Other Grade 1 winners trained by McLaughlin include It’s Tricky, Albertus Maximus, Daaher, Henny Hughes, Shakespeare, and Soldat.

“What the neat thing is to me is that Art Magnuson and Neal McLaughlin have been there for all 1,000 wins,” said McLaughlin, referring to his assistants. “Both have been with me since 1993.

“The Maktoum family, obviously, I have to thank and they’ve been there for all of them, they’re great supporters as are my wife Letty and my kids,” McLaughlin added.

McLaughlin is a native of Lexington, Ky.