Vequist Sets Sights on Second Grade 1 in Frizette

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Swilcan Stable's Vequist will try to add a second grade to her résumé in the $250,000 Frizette Stakes (G1) Oct. 10 at Belmont Park after breaking her maiden in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) last out at Saratoga Race Course.

The Nyquist  filly trained by Butch Reid will break from the rail under Luis Saez inside six other juvenile fillies in the one-mile Frizette, which offers the winner a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland. 

Vequist has pressed the pace in her two starts, beaten a nose in her debut at Parx Racing July 29, then romping by 9 1/2 lengths in the Spinaway Sept. 6, when Saez also rode.

"She has to confirm it; anybody can do it once," Reid said of her Spinaway performance. "You have to do it a couple of times to really prove you belong at that level. But she jumped from 4 1/2 furlongs to seven-eighths and against grade 1 company, so it was impressive, and I really liked the way she handled herself. We got up to Saratoga a couple of days ahead of time, and she acted really great in the paddock. The way she acted was what impressed me more than anything else. She handled it like a seasoned old racehorse."

Reid said race distance and location factored into choosing the Frizette over the Oct. 2 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) around two turns at Keeneland.

"Even when she made her debut, it seemed like there was no limit to how far she'll go," Reid said. "Her mother (Vero Amore) ran at a mile and an eighth and ran long, and so did Nyquist, so I think the further, the better with her. With two turns, the Alcibiades was a pretty good prep for the Breeders' Cup, but this race fits her perfectly and we know she can handle the one-turn mile, so this seemed like the better way to go."

Vequist last worked a half-mile in :48.62 Oct. 4 at Parx.

"Belmont is such a short ship for us, so we're keeping her comfortable," Reid added. "She rides the van very well, so I'm not worried about any of those kind of things."

One stall out from Vequist will be Stonestreet Stables' Cantata, a $950,000 purchase from Eaton Sales' consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. By Medaglia d'Oro  and out of a full sister to grade 1 winner Taris, Cantata rolled on debut Aug. 16 at Saratoga by 10 1/4 lengths after racing in third early in a race at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Joel Rosario will ride for trainer Steve Asmussen.

"She's come in and done everything correctly. She's quite the individual," said Asmussen's assistant Toby Sheets. "We're looking forward to seeing her step up her game a little bit. She's a racehorse. She does her job and has it down."

Asmussen has also entered Joy's Rocket, the winner of the My Dear Girl Stakes on all-weather and second in the Bolton Landing Stakes on turf. 

Trainer Timothy Hamm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice is set to return off a six-length win in the July 16 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) and is undefeated in two starts. She may have a tactical advantage, drawn outside the other contenders in post 5.

Cilla, Get On the Bus, and Fifth Risk complete the field.

Entries: Frizette S. (G1)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 10, 2020, Race 5

• Grade I
• 1m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 2:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Vequist (KY)	Luis Saez	120	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	2/1
2	2Cantata (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Steven M. Asmussen	9/5
3	3Cilla (LA)	Kendrick Carmouche	120	Bentley Combs	30/1
4	4Joy's Rocket (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
5	5Dayoutoftheoffice (KY)	Junior Alvarado	120	Timothy E. Hamm	3/1
6	6Get On the Bus (KY)	Jose Lezcano	120	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
7	7Fifth Risk (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1