McLaughlin stable loaded with potential

Last year, McLaughlin brought Grade 2 winner Cairo Prince to Gulfstream off a

runner-up finish in the Remsen at Aqueduct. Considered the leading Triple Crown

contender, Cairo Prince was an impressive winner of the Holy Bull before being

hurt running fourth in the Florida Derby and subsequently retired.

McLaughlin was second in the Remsen again last month with Frosted, who came

up a half-length short as the favorite after breaking from the outside of 13

horses and was eight lengths clear of third. Classy Class, owned by Cheyenne

Stable, finished fourth after chasing the early pace.

Both Frosted, a son of Tapit, and Medaglia d'Oro-sired Imperia are owned by

Godolphin Stable. Imperia made his first three starts on grass, winning the

Pilgrim at Belmont Park and finishing a troubled 10th in the Breeders' Cup

Juvenile Turf before rallying to be second, beaten a head in the Kentucky Jockey

Club at Churchill Downs in his dirt debut.

"I said that maybe this was a good time to run him on the dirt and see if he

would like it, rather than waiting until February to find out if he's equally

good on the dirt," McLaughlin said. "Sometimes you start a horse on the turf

because of the distance, and that's what he wanted. We felt like we weren't

going to waste our time running short on the dirt, so we ran him long on the

turf and he ran very well."

Jess's Dream, Curlin-sired Ocean Knight and Good Pick Nick are all owned by

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stable. Jess's Dream is also by Curlin, the 2007-08

Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer, and is the first foal out of 2009

Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. He is named for Banke's late husband, Jess

Jackson, who campaigned both Curlin and Rachel Alexandra and envisioned their

mating.

"He is working very well and should get started before the year's end,"

McLaughlin said. "Obviously, he is very well-bred. He's been working weekly and

doing very well. He's really improving mentally and physically and we hope for

big things from him. He's a talented colt. It's nice to have him in the barn."

Other notable McLaughlin horses are Florida-bred allowance winner

Transparent, targeting the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic on January 17;

Mutin, a four-year-old colt bred in France who won a November 9 turf allowance

at Aqueduct in his North American debut and being pointed to the $200,000 Fort

Lauderdale on January 10; two-year-old filly Cavorting, winner of the Adirondack

this summer; graded stakes-placed three-year-old fillies Penwith and Divided

Attention and juvenile filly Gap Year.

"We have some nice horses, possibly for the big races, we hope," McLaughlin

said.

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