Shug McGaughey's handling of Cafe Society has been a study in patience, which Saturday at Gulfstream Park paid its first dividends.

Absent nearly a year after flashing high promise as a 2yo, the Empire Maker filly put it all together in her 2nd start off a long layoff, winning a one mile allowance in convincing fashion.

Pre-race remarks from McGaughey suggested he was optimistic Cafe Society would thrive over a distance of ground, and, not surprisingly, he was right. Hampered at the start of her seven-furlong return when finishing 5th behind runaway winner Goodnight Olive, jockey Junior Alvarado allowed Cafe Society to settle out of the one post inside and comfortably off the pace.

Advancing into the far turn, Cafe Society produced a sustained rally to sweep ahead of the field, including highly-regarded Millefeuille, and steadily draw off away to a 3 1/4 length decision. The win was her first since a victorious debut in October of her juvenile year, which was followed by two minor GSP in the Tempted and Demoiselle, both behind subsequent Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat.

Initially short-listed at 2019 Keeneland September, Cafe Society eventually wound up in the McGaughey stable for owner Joe Allen after Joe Brocklebank signed her $475,000 winning ticket at OBS April.

Cafe Society is out of Full Tapit, a speedy daughter of Tapit who in turn is the highest earner of More than Ready's NY black-type winner Miss Challenge. She was purchased in utero at 2017 Keeneland November by Dave Anderson and bred in the name of his Ontario-based Anderson Farms. Full Tap is dam to yearling Nyquist filly and due this season to Medaglia d'Oro.

McGaughey added Woodbine's lucrative Canadian-bred stakes schedule would be square in his sights for Cafe Society later this season.