It really has been 20 years since Easy Goer and Sunday Silence staged their epic four-race series through the Triple Crown, ending with the Breeders' Cup Classic; 21 years since Personal Ensign finished her perfect career in the gloaming at Churchill Downs; more than 30 years since Shug McGaughey "rubbed horses" for trainer Jimmy Cowdin two summers at old Liberty Bell Park, just before he had the brilliant sprinter Dainty Dotsie and spent two winters around here "as a kid."

Enshrined in racing's Hall of Fame in 2004, McGaughey worked his way up from 30th Street Station to Philadelphia Park yesterday. On the way, he was trying to remember where everything was when he worked in these parts. He knew Street Road. He knew Liberty Bell Park was gone, replaced by "that big mall."

"When I was coming here today, I was trying to sort of figure out [where everything was]," McGaughey said. "I remember Street Road. I remember those apartments [where his friend David Carr lived]. I was trying to kind of get all that penciled back into my memory."

He did not remember that PhillyPark (then Keystone) was built across Street Road in Bucks County because the license holders at the Bell had a dispute so two tracks ended up within a few miles. The Bell has been gone for nearly a quarter century, Franklin Mills Mall rising in its place.

Now, a slots casino is rising in the parking lot at the "Pha." And the 30th Pennsylvania Derby was being run yesterday with a $1 million purse.

The man who trained Easy Goer, Personal Ensign and the winners of nine Breeders' Cup races (second only to Wayne Lukas) can still count quite well. And when he was sure Rachel Alexandra wasn't coming this way, he sent the Phipps Stable's Gone Astray to Bensalem.

And those were the familiar black silks with cherry cap worn by Eddie Castro, who was on the back of the streaking Gone Astray, all alone in the stretch, 9 1/2 lengths clear of the field, overwhelming a race that appeared close on paper, but was not at all close on the track.

"This was fun," McGaughey said. "We had a slow summer, a slow Saratoga."

Gone Astray clearly was getting better over the summer. This was the explosion. The son of hot sire Dixie Union out of Illicit, the first foal of the Phipps champion mare, Inside Information, herself a 13 1/4-length winner of the 1995 BC Distaff, ran the 9 furlongs in 1:48.27 and paid $11.40. Join in the Dance was a distant second, followed by Kelly Leak and favored Duke of Mischief. Morning-line favorite Soul Warrior was scratched.

Owner "Dinny" Phipps has been sick all summer and is in the hospital. McGaughey figures he found a way to watch the race.

"He'll know and he'll be happy," McGaughey said.

These $1 million races, the trainer agreed, never get old.

McGaughey had his eye on this race, but wanted to make sure Rachel stayed at Saratoga before he committed. He wanted nothing to do with Rachel who finished her brilliant 2009 season with an unforgettable win in Saturday's Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Gone Astray may just be getting started.

"This came as a bit of a surprise, winning as easy as he did today," McGaughey said. "I'll have to take another look and see what I got."

Gone Astray was fifth and then sixth early behind a moderate pace set by Our Edge. The field looked to be bunching up on the far turn. Then, Gone Astray just ran away from the others and never slowed down.

"I was maybe a little bit concerned at sort of where his position was," McGaughey said. "I thought maybe we'd be laying a little closer."

Didn't matter where he was in this race. When the real running began, only one horse was running.

Chamberlain Bridge wins

 

In the end, Chamberlain Bridge won it by 1 1/2 lengths over Little Nick who was a nose in front of Mr. Nightlinger.

Trainer Bret Calhoun had all the bases covered in the $250,000 Turf Monster. He had the really fast Mr. Nightlinger to set the pace and the talented Chamberlain Bridge to run late.