War Flag ready to move forward in Glens Falls

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey hopes Allen Stable's War Flag will move forward off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park on July 30 to capture her first North American victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Glens Falls.

The race will mark the third U.S. start for the War Front filly, who won the Group 3 Prix Chloe as a 3-year-old. in France in July of 2016, her last start in Europe before she was sent to McGaughey for her 4-year-old campaign.

"I'm looking forward to running her," said McGaughey. "I think she's a natural route filly. Her two races since I've had her back from Europe have both been good. We'll see what happens. Being a War Front she'll appreciate the firm going and the distance hits her right between the eyes."

Graded stakes winner On Leave, who last out finished fifth in the Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa to multiple graded stakes winners Lady Eli, Dickinson, and Roca Rojo on August 26, will most likely next point to the listed All Along on September 16 at Laurel Park, according to McGaughey.

"She came out of her race fine," said McGaughey. "I'll probably run her in Maryland in the All Along and give her a class break. I had planned on Antonoe going and then we went right behind Kiaran's horse [Dickinson] and it messed it up for us a little bit. She was in pretty deep against the field so I'm just thinking we'll give her a little bit of a class break."

McGaughey also reported Snap Decision, who finished third in the Better Talk Now Stakes on August 28, also exited his race in good condition, although he wasn't sure where he would run the homebred son of Hard Spun next.