Trainer Bios

C.R. "Shug" McGaughey III

Born: Jan. 6, 1951, in Lexington, Kentucky

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 173

Stakes Wins: 28

Career Firsts

First Grade 1 Win: 1983 Spinster at Keeneland with Try Something New

First Stakes Win: 1978 Apple Blossom (G2) at Oaklawn Park with Northernette

First Graded Stakes Win: 1978 Apple Blossom (G2) at Oaklawn Park with Northernette

First Career Win: 1976 at Rockingham Park

Starters in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes

Year	Horse	Finish
1996	Draw	4th
1993	Living Vicarously	5th
1982	Jenkins Ferry	8th

At Keeneland

Leading trainer six times (1984, 1993 and 1996 Spring and 1983-1985 Fall).

First Keeneland win came during the 1980 Spring Meet.

First Keeneland stakes win was the 1983 Spinster (G1) with Try Something New, which marked the first Grade 1 victory of his career. Other Spinster winners are Dispute (1994), Inside Information (1995) and Carriage Trail (2008).

Three-time winner of the Ashland (G1): Inside Information (1994), My Flag (1995) and Glitter Woman (1997).

Other Grade 1 was the 2012 Maker’s 46 Mile with Data Link.

Won the 2021 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) with Scarlett Sky during the Spring Meet.

Career

Inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2004.

Triple Crown wins (2): 2013 Kentucky Derby with Orb; 1989 Belmont with Easy Goer.

Breeders’ Cup wins (9): 1988 Distaff with Personal Ensign (the win concluded her unbeaten 13-race career); 1989 Sprint with Dancing Spree and Juvenile with Rhythm; 1992 and 1993 Mile with Lure; 1995 Juvenile Fillies with My Flag and Distaff with Inside Information; 2002 Juvenile Fillies with Storm Flag Flying; 2005 Distaff with Pleasant Home.

Received the 1988 Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer.

North American career earnings nearing $177 million with 2,366 wins through Dec. 17, 2024.

Recorded 2,000th career win March 3, 2018, at Gulfstream Park when Fly So High won the Davona Dale (G2).

Click here for his Equibase career record.

Background

Shug grew up in Lexington, where his father, a real estate agent, would signal to the betting clerks at Keeneland that it was OK to let the boy place a bet. Shug attended the University of Mississippi for a while before he began walking hots for his friend David Carr and later became his assistant. He started working as a groom for Hall of Fame trainer Frank Whiteley in 1974 and was an assistant for Whiteley’s son, David, for five years.

He was selected to train for the Phipps Family stable on Nov. 11, 1985, and on Dec. 31 won his first race for them with Erin Bright in the Display (G3).

Son Chip is a Keeneland Sales Associate. Son Reeve is an assistant.