First Captain

First Captain, a Curlin colt owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing, turned heads in his debut race when he won a seven-furlong maiden on April 24, 2021, at Belmont Park by three quarters of a length after rallying from behind. The Shug McGaughey trainee stretched out to a one-turn mile at Belmont on May 29 and was impressive once again, prevailing by a length after being forced out by the runner-up in midstretch.

In his stakes debut, First Captain broke near the back of a compact five-horse field in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont on July 5 but was patiently ridden by Jose Ortiz and angled out in the far turn to make a four-wide bid. He grinded his way through the stretch of the one-mile Dwyer and improved to a perfect three-for-three in his young career with a 1 ¾-length win. First Captain suffered the first loss of his career in the Curlin Stakes July 20 at Saratoga Race Course, where he flattened out late and finished third, beaten by 8 3/4 lengths.

The Curlin was the final 2021 start for First Captain. After a nearly seven-month break, he returned on Feb. 27, 2022 at Gulfstream Park and rallied to win a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming race by a head. He then moved back up to stakes company in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap April 9 at Aqueduct, held at the same seven-furlong distance, but failed to fire and finished a puzzling last of seven, defeated by 19 ¾ lengths.

Hall of Famer McGaughey brought First Captain back May 20 in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special Stakes and added blinkers, and the colt responded with a game off-the-pace win, outfinishing favored Vindictive by a head. After a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes in July, First Captain ran third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 3 at Saratoga.

Several members of First Captain’s ownership group purchased him for $1.5 million as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga auction. He is out of the Grade 3-winning and multiple Grade 1-placed mare America, by A.P. Indy and is a close relative to Grade 1-winning filly Paris Lights and 2007 Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, the dam of Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches and Jazil.