McLaughlin Loaded with Stakes Runners

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will see plenty of stakes action with his stable on Saturday. In addition to Frosted, his Belmont Stakes starter, McLaughlin has several other stakes contenders confirmed for the undercard races.

The conditioner said his stakes runners have all landed in tough spots, but he's glad he has the opportunity to be part of the big afternoon with horses who are deserving of running.

"It's a big weekend, and I like the way it has been orchestrated to be a big weekend," McLaughlin remarked. "Everybody around the world will be watching Saturday. I like these big days. I think they are great. I don't think people realize how many people around the world are watching the races on this big day. I think Martin Panza has done a good job."

In the Grade 1, $1.25 million NYRA.com Met Mile, McLaughlin will saddle a pair of runners, Bay of Plenty and Tamarkuz. McLaughlin has secured the services of Mike Smith and Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride his horses in the Grade 1, but as of Tuesday morning had not determined who will ride whom.

Godolphin Racing's Bay of Plenty, who is undefeated in three starts at Belmont, is making his Grade 1 debut. The front-running son of Megdaglia d'Oro may not be able to employ those tactics on Saturday, though.

"I'm afraid [the lead] spot will be occupied, so we will just have to work [a trip] out," McLaughlin said in reference to the expected presence of the fleet-footed Private Zone in the Met Mile.

"[A post position] outside of Private Zone would be better, because Private Zone is very fast, which means we might not be on the lead, so it would be better to be on the outside," he added.

In his only start of 2015, Bay of Plenty won an allowance very easily under Ortiz. It marked the first start since the 4-year-old underwent a tie-back procedure -- a throat surgery that restores normal airflow.

"The tie-back surgery really helped him," McLaughlin said. "It's been a success."

Tamarkuz arrived in McLaughlin's barn from Dubai in mid-April. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown, who races for Shadwell Stable, won the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup card. A winner of 7 of 13 career starts, including his most recent four races, Tamarkuz has shown the propensity to get off slow from the starting gate.

"The starting gate was a concern, the previous trainer told us that. He broke very slow on World Cup night," McLaughlin said. "We've taken him to the gate a lot since he's arrived. He was a bit reluctant to go in at first, but we've taken him plenty times, and he went right in there. We even let him come out the front of the gate the other day.

"We're throwing him into the toughest race you can find, but he deserves the chance because he is doing well," McLaughlin added.

Another first-time McLaughlin starter on Saturday is Light the City, who was sent to the trainer by Cheyenne Stables, and is running in the Grade 1 Acorn. This will be the filly's first start on the East Coast following a Southern California campaign which saw her win her first two starts. She has lost her last five starts, twice tas the favorite. Most recently she was pulled up in the Santa Anita Oaks on April 4 and was walked off the track.

"I don't know what the circumstances were regarding her last race," McLaughlin said. "She came to us toward the end of April and you can see by her workouts with us she is doing very well."

Additionally, McLaughlin will run Classy Class, an allowance winner here last month at 1 1/16 miles, in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Presented by I Love NY. In two starts at Belmont, the son of Discreetly Mine is undefeated.

Wedding Toast, a four-length winner of the Grade 2 Ruffian for McLaughlin in her last start, will run in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps.

Stakes aside, McLaughlin said he is also very keen to run maiden winner Wisecracker in an allowance race -- provided it fills -- on Saturday afternoon. On April 4 at Keeneland, Godolphin Racing's Wisecracker won a 1 1/16-mile race in authoritative fashion.

"He's a really nice 3-year-old who hopefully you will be reading about someday," McLaughlin said. "He's one of the best 3-year-olds who is going to run here on Saturday. He's a serious racehorse. Wisecracker might be our only favorite on Saturday."

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