Kiaran McLaughlin reached a personal landmark Friday when Que Posse
won race 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack to give the trainer his 1,000th career North
American victory.
“I
think it means the most to me that Art Magnuson, and [my brother] Neal, my two
main assistants, have been there for all 1,000 wins and that we’ve been together
for all the victories,” said McLaughlin by telephone from Florida. “I’d like to
thank Sheikh Mohammed [bin Rashid al Maktoum] and all my owners for their
support over the years.”
McLaughlin, who trained 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor and
2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil, reached victory No. 999 at Aqueduct on
Wednesday when Winnie Dixie won race 5. The majority of McLaughlin’s 1,000 North
American victories have come on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)
circuit, including 270 wins at Belmont Park, 101 at Saratoga Race Course, and 305
at Aqueduct.
Among
his winners at the Big A in 2012 are Kentucky Derby hopeful Alpha, victorious in
the Grade 3 Withers and the Count Fleet; It’s Tricky, who took the Grade 2 Top
Flight, and Redding Colliery, winner of the Evening
Attire.
McLaughlin, 51, won his first New York training title
in 2008 when he edged close friend Todd Pletcher to top the standings at
Saratoga Race Course. Born in Lexington, Ky., he worked for several trainers before
becoming an assistant to Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, for whom he supervised
the campaigns of several New York-based Eclipse Award winners. After serving as
the jockey agent for the late Chris Antley, in 1993 he began training for Sheikh
Mohammed al Maktoum during the racing season in Dubai, returning annually until 2003, when he
gave up the travel.
While
in the United Arab
Emirates, McLaughlin won more than 300 races
and was three times the leading trainer at Nad al Sheba Race Course, having
saddled his first winner as a trainer at Jebel Ali on December 31, 1993, with
Lead the Dance. In 2007, he returned to win the Dubai World Cup with Invasor,
who in 2006 won the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga,
the Suburban at Belmont Park and the Breeders’ Cup
Classic.
McLaughlin also trained 2006’s Top Turf Female Lahudood,
who counts among his dozens of stakes winners including It’s Tricky (2011 TVG
Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks), Daaher (2007 Cigar Mile and Jerome), and
Henny Hughes (2006 King’s Bishop and Vosburgh).