SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey expected a solid performance from Concord Green (War Front) in his career debut Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, and the bay colt delivered.
After an unfortunate start that left him 11 1/2 lengths off the pace after a half-mile in :48.74, Concord Green and Dylan Davis came into the second turn and won comfortably by three-quarters of a length from Davy Crockett (Constitution). Concord Green finished the 1 1/16-mile, $100,000 Maiden Special Weight race for two-year-olds in 1:46.22. He started 13-1 and earned $28.40.
Stuart Janney bred and owns Concord Green, out of the Arch mare Mata Mua.
“He’s a horse I’ve always liked,” McGaughey said. “I like his lineage. I like his dam. I like Arch mares and I love War Front. The War Fronts are really nice to train. I’ve always liked that horse. When I saw him in Ocala in the winter, he was kind of my favorite of Stuart Janney’s two-year-olds. I’m not surprised how he ran, not that he won, maybe, but how he finished.”
Dylan Davis and Shug McGaughey | Sarah Andrew
After putting the early difficulties behind him, Davis worked to put Concord Green in a competitive position down the backstretch. Sam’s Rocket (American Pharoah) was the pacesetter with the first quarter time in :23.61, six eighths in 1:14.93 and was still in the lead as the field entered the homestretch. Sam’s Rocket and the others in the lead paid the price down the homestretch as the tail runners came to take the lead. Although running erratically, Davy Crockett made a strong charge down the homestretch and actually made it to the front and looked capable of going on and winning. With Davy Crockett past him and out of the way, Concord Green made a strong comeback more toward the middle of the track, overtaking Davy Crockett inside the sixteenth post and pulling ahead.
“Dylan ran a good race,” McGaughey said. “He saved the ground. He said it was a little patchy down there. He got it to the outside, he found his rhythm and finished well.”
Over the years, McGaughey trained Janney’s dam and granddam Impressionism (Broad Brush) and their families. Concord Green is a half-stallion to graded stakes winner Scarlett Sky (Sky Mesa).
McGaughey said Concord Green blossomed during his time in Saratoga this summer.
“I’m happy with the way he’s trained here,” McGaughey said. “I think he’s matured a lot since we’ve been here, which I like. I think the older he gets, the better he gets, physically and all. I think his future could still be ahead of him.”
McGaughey said Concord Green could compete in the GII Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack on Sept. 28 or possibly in a 2-year-old race at Keeneland.
“If everything is OK,” McGaughey said, “I’ll try to find the right place for him.”
2. Saratoga, 100,000 USD, MSW8–17, 2 years old, 1 1/16 mT, 1:46.22, fm, 3/4 length.
CONCORD GREEN (c, 2, Warfront–Mata Mua, by Arch)a 13-1 novice, pushed past his rivals at the start and saw the field a step ahead before getting to his feet, beating only two rivals on the backstretch in a first half in :48.74. Under a motionless Dylan Davis, the homegrown began to pass the field on the far turn and weaved through traffic inside the furlong marker to pass Davy Crockett (Consitution) and pull away for the win by three-quarters of a length. Half to Scarlett Sky (Sky Mesa), GSW, $224,130, Concord Green has a weanling half-brother to Not This Time, while Mata Mua was in residence with Life Is Good for next season. Overall record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com Chart or VIDEO sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.
