Fort Washington Chasing History in $250,000 Dinner Party (G3)

Millionaire Making Title Defense in 125th Edition of Historic Turf Stakes

LAUREL, MD – A repeat victory by Fort Washington in the $250,000 Dinner Party (G3) Saturday at Laurel Park would mean another nice payday for Magic Cap Stables and a spot in racing history for the 7-year-old horse trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

Fort Washington won the Dinner Party by a length last year at 5-1. It was the second of three victories in what was a banner year for the son of War Front. Three months later, he added a score in the Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs to his resume.

If Fort Washington is able to handle the field of seven entered in the 1 1/8-mile turf event, he would be just the second back-to-back winner – matching Hall of Famer Sarazan – in the 125-year history of the race. Sarazan, winner of 27 of 55 career starts, doubled precisely 100 years ago in 1925-26. The gelding was elected to the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in 1957.

McGaughey has managed Fort Washington, a deep closer, throughout his five-year, 31-race career that includes eight victories and earnings of $1.4 million.

“He's a very nice horse,” McGaughey said. “He's won some races and he won one big race and hopefully we'll be on the road to some others.”

Fort Washington started racing for his breeders Joseph Allen and Peter Brant. When Brant decided to leave the partnership, Magic Cap’s owner Joe Anzalone bought into the horse. He took over complete ownership in 2024 just before Fort Washington won the Monmouth Stakes (G3) at 35-1.

McGaughey took a slightly different approach with the horse last fall before again opening his campaign in Florida with the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Fort Washington was sixth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, in the Pegasus and fourth in the Canadian Turf.

“He ran down at Kentucky Downs and he didn't run very well, so I just decided to pull the plug on him and gave him some time,” McGaughey said. “I ended up giving him more time than I originally thought, but he was just turned out and playing. Then we brought him back and with the Pegasus in mind. He ran a good race in the Pegasus. He just had an outside post that hurt him. He wasn’t beat far.”

Fort Washington drew Post 4 in the Dinner Party, which was run for many years as the Dixie. Junior Alvarado, who has ridden the horse in eight straight races, will be aboard again.

McGaughey said Fort Washington is looking to him that he is ready for big performance.

“The way he's been training, the way he's doing, he had a really good work [four furlongs in 48.10 seconds Saturday] up here [at Belmont Park], I'd be disappointed if he didn't run good,” McGaughey said.

Veteran Dresden Road will make his U.S. graded stakes debut in the Dinner Party for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The Twin Oaks Bloodstock 5-year-old compiled a 6-5-4 record in Canada in 15 starts for trainer Lorne Richards. He won three graded-stakes and finished on the board in five others at Woodbine.

Dresden was transferred to the Pletcher barn in December and won an allowance race at Keeneland April 8.

“He had a very successful career up in Canada and we were fortunate enough to pick him up after he was sold in the digital sale,” Pletcher said. “He has been a very straightforward horse and likes to train. He trained well up to his comeback and I thought he handled that nicely at Keeneland so we thought we would take a look at this.

“We built up gradually and he has trained professionally,” he added. “He had good form from Canada and he looks like a horse, to me, that potentially could run on all three surfaces. We are taking it a race at a time and try to make the most of our opportunities. He is a very nice horse to train. He likes his job and goes about his business every day. The distance suits him well. We picked this spot, because of timing-wise. I think he has a future.”

Hope Jones’ homebred gelding Cruise the Nile has won four in a row for trainer Graham Motion. In his most recent start, he came from off the pace and scored by a neck at Laurel in the one-mile Henry Clark April 18.

What Say Three has shown improved form in his last four starts, with two wins and two thirds. He was claimed for $25,000 two starts back and won at first asking by his new trainer Horacio De Paz in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on the turf at Laurel. He has won nine of his 29 starts.

Titletown Racing’s homebred A Bourbon for Toby was close often, but finally broke his maiden Nov. 13 in his 11th start. He opened this season with a win in a first-level allowance race at Keeneland in April. He is heading into the Dinner Party on short rest after running third in at Aqueduct on May 7.

Trainer Derek Ryan has saddled Thundering to four-straight in-the-money finishes since the gelding was moved into his care late last year by Dastur Racing.

Averill Racing’s 8-year-old Harrow, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., has won 10 of his 31 career starts and has three seconds and seven thirds. The Kentucky-bred son of Lea won the 2025 Barbados Gold Cup.