High-priced First Captain wins debut at Belmont for McGaughey

First Captain, a $1.5 million auction purchase trained by Shug McGaughey, scored impressively in his debut going seven furlongs at Belmont Park on Saturday. 

With Jose Ortiz in the irons, First Captain saved ground while stalking contested fractions of 23.70 and 47.26 for the opening half-mile. First Captain bided his time until angling out for running room at the top of the stretch and reeling in 6-5 favorite Mahaamel in the final 100 yards to win going away by three-quarters of a length.

The final time on a fast track was 1:23.70. Mahaamel, a $700,000 first-time starter by Into Mischief for Shadwell Stable and Todd Pletcher, was followed across the wire by Repo Rocks and Bode O. 

First Captain paid $8.10 as the 3-1 second choice in a seven-horse field. Bred by Bobby Flay, he is by Curlin out of graded-stakes winner America, by A.P. Indy. He was sold as a yearling at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale and is campaigned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing and Flay. 

"I was hoping he would run well," McGaughey said on America's Day at the Races. "I had him ready to run [last summer] at Saratoga, but he had some bumps and bruises so I sent him home and gave him some time off. We brought him back and my idea all along was to have him under-trained rather than over-trained, to get him to the races and let him educate. He won and got a good education with it."