Poker-Faced McGaughey Holds Oaks Trump Card With Storm Flag Flying
By: William F. Reed

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Apr. 5, 2003) - He's the quiet guy in the poker game who makes you nervous. He holds "em instead of foldin" 'em. He watches and waits. You wonder if he's bluffing. He's Cool-Hand Luke. He gives new dimension to the term, "Poker-faced."

That's the role that trainer Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey has played so far in the high-stakes game known as the Kentucky Oaks. The trump card, Storm Flag Flying, is in his hand. She's the queen that everybody fears. Until he finally plays her in the Comely on Apr. 18 at Aqueduct, nobody else is sure how their cards stack up.

Consider Elloluv, for example.

On Saturday, Apr. 5, she dominated a strong field in the $551,750 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. Ridden by Robby Albarado, she was sent to the lead early in the 1 1/16th-mile classic and withstood a belated challenge from the previously unbeaten Lady Tak, winning by 3 3/4-lengths.

"I was surprised that nobody came and challenged her," Albarado said. "I have a feeling, though, that if somebody would have tried to run with her, she would have run away from them."

But wait a minute. Let's see what cards are on the table.

In California, Elloluv was second-best to Composure in the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks. Composure was a game second to Storm Flag Flying in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Arlington Park, but sustained an injury this year that forced her premature retirement.

So, if Storm Flag Flying was better than Composure, and Compouse was better than Elloluv, then...who knows? Only when McGaughey sends out Storm Flag Flying will anybody be able to get a grip on the Oaks.

"This filly (Elloluv) has tremendous speed," said trainer Craig Dollase. "She looked great today and she still has a lot left. She is barely even blowing. I think she has more to show in the Kentucky Oaks."

Raise you, Shug, and over to you.

Lady Tak, the 6-5 Ashland favorite on the basis of her five-for-five record, deserves another chance in the Oaks, as does the third-place Holiday Lady, a talented and forward-moving filly trained by Nick Zito. She also was third to Ivanavinalot and My Boston Gal in the Bonnie Miss on Feb. 15 at Gulfstream Park.

Indeed, still lurking in the background are Ivanavinalot, who failed to duplicate her exciting Bonnie Miss win in the Ashland, but could still trump everyone on Oaks Day; My Boston Gal, who showed last year that she loves the Churchill surface; Midnight Cry, who won the Gulfstream's Forward Gal Stakes for trainer Kenny McPeek; Final Round, who was an impressive second in the Forward Gal; and Santa Catarina, a talented filly who may have her best races ahead of her.

For now, though, everyone is waiting for Shug McGaughey to play his trump card. The chips are on the table. Everybody else at least has showed part of their hand. The pot is huge.

The other players call, Shug. Let's see what you have.

Native Kentuckian William F. Reed has been a sports writer in various capacities for 43 years and has missed covering the Kentucky Derby a mere two times since 1966. He has been a high-profile sports writer in Kentucky for the Commonwealth's two largest daily newspapers, the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader and was a national columnist for Sports Illustrated, covering among other sports, Thoroughbred horse racing and college basketball. Reed currently pens a column for the Louisville Sports Report and covered Kentucky Derby 128 for kentuckyderby.com. He will be filing frequent installments for CDSN's (Churchill Downs Simulcasting Network) websites throughout 2003.

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