Munjaz leads McLaughlin's four-win weekend

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – On Saturday, Todd Pletcher won four races, including a pair of stakes here and the Queens County at Aqueduct. But he isn’t the only trainer who had himself a big weekend both here and in New York.

So did his good friend and colleague, Kiaran McLaughlin, who was all smiles following Munjaz’s impressive victory in his U.S. debut here Sunday, giving the trainer his fourth win of the weekend.

Munjaz, whose previous four starts had come in England, overcame a slow start and a wide trip under Julien Leparoux to register a four-length allowance win going 1 1/16 miles on turf. The 3-year-old Shadwell homebred earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This was just a never-won-two-lifetime race, but hopefully he’ll keep going forward and work his way up to stakes company,” said McLaughlin. “He’s very well bred, he’s trained extremely well since we got him this summer at Saratoga, and he wants to go further. I just wish we could have gotten him started a little earlier to run against the 3-year-olds. But we’re hopeful that next year we’ll have a graded stakes horse.”

McLaughlin’s other three winners over the weekend came at Aqueduct, all first-time starters. They were led by Ocean Knight, a 2-year-old son of Curlin who drew off to a 4 1/2-length victory against maiden special weight company Saturday. Ocean Knight, a homebred owned by Stonestreet Stables, received a 92 Beyer.

McLaughlin’s other two debut winners in New York were Via Strata, a 3-year-old Darley homebred on Saturday, and the Stonestreet-owned Perchance on Sunday.

“It was a fabulous weekend,” McLaughlin said Sunday. “Ocean Knight was very impressive, and I thought Perchance was outstanding today. Both will be on a van heading down to Palm Meadows on Wednesday.

“It took us a long time to finally get Via Strata to the races, but she’s always trained well, and I thought she ran great at first asking. She’ll stay up in New York for an allowance race next.”

McLaughlin’s barn will be loaded with potential Kentucky Derby prospects when the new year rings in. Along with Ocean Knight, the stable includes Frosted and Classy Class, the second- and fourth-place finishers in the Remsen; Kentucky Jockey Club runner-up Imperia; and Shadwell’s runaway maiden winner Mawthooq.

“Frosted is here pointing for the Holy Bull,” said McLaughlin. “Mawthooq and Ocean Knight will probably run in allowance races at Gulfstream before they jump up to stakes. Classy Class will stay in New York to run in the Jerome. At this point, we seem to have an abundance of riches, but it’s hard to get [to the Kentucky Derby]. Last year, we had a great shot with Cairo Prince, and he didn’t make it. Maybe it will take five to get one there this May.”

McLaughlin also said that plans to send Bay of Plenty to Dubai have been canceled. Bay of Plenty had a three-race win streak snapped when finishing second as the favorite in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap on Nov. 1.

Bay of Plenty had been in quarantine for the trip, McLaughlin said, but then was sent to Ocala, Fla., instead of Dubai.

“I hope to get him back later on,” he said, “although at the moment, I’m not sure what we’re going to do with him.”

McLaughlin also said that Transparent, eighth in the Cigar Mile, would be pointed for the Sunshine Millions Classic, or, as McLaughlin called it, the “Multi-States Classic.” The Sunshine Millions was originally restricted to Florida-breds but was opened to horses bred in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.