McGaughey Looking at Baruch for Seal Cove

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said on Thursday that Stuart S. Janney, III's Seal Cove could make his next start in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap on August 31 after defeating eight opponents, all stakes winners, in an optional claimer on Wednesday at Saratoga.

"I want to keep him in places where he can be competitive and earn some money," said McGaughey of the 5-year-old gelding. "One spot that could come up is the Bernard Baruch, but I'll just have to wait and see to see how that turns up."

In the one-mile race on the inner turf course on Wednesday, Seal Cove raced in eighth early, hooked four wide into the stretch, and outkicked Grade 1 winner Turallure to win by a head. Hoofit finished an additional neck behind in third.

"I thought he ran great," said McGaughey. "He had been training really well. It came up a solid race. One mile isn't his gig; he wants to go farther than that. Javier [Castellano] rode him great. He took him back behind a closer pace than we expected, but he closed well. Javier made the right decision when he brought him off the rail; he prefers being outside of horses. Then [Turallure] came outside of him, but he was able to hold him off."