Belmont Runner-Up Frosted Back in Jim Dandy

Grade I winner Frosted is scheduled to start in the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) on Saturday, Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course, his first race since June 6 when he finished second in the Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (gr. I).

Frosted drew the outside post in the 1 1/8-mile race that saw seven 3-year-olds entered, although at least one of those horses could opt for the Aug. 2 William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I) at Monmouth Park.

Godolphin Racing's Frosted is a go for the Jim Dandy after a Triple Crown season in which he finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), skipped the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I), and then finished second to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Belmont. That run followed his clear victory in the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) April 15 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Jim Dandy is a prep race for the Travers Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 29 at Saratoga, and Frosted's trainer Kiaran McLaughlin hopes to use the Jim Dandy in that manner, although he added that he'd love to see the son of Tapit   win Saturday's race.

"I think it's important to have a race over the track and the Jim Dandy's just an important race on its own. We've won a grade I, the Wood Memorial, but the Jim Dandy, stands alone as a top race and an important race, and we look forward to trying to win it," McLaughlin said. "Even though it's a grade II, it's a serious race and nice purse and a good prep for the Travers. So, yes, it's nice to have a race over the track going forward."

While Frosted will be making his first start in nearly two months, Jim Dandy rival Texas Red returned to action July 4 with a runner-up finish in the Dwyer Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park in his first start since finishing a close second to Lord Nelson in the San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 1 at Santa Anita Park. Last year's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner followed that Dwyer effort with a pair of workouts at Saratoga for trainer Keith Desormeaux, including a five-furlong bullet breeze in :59 3/5 July 25 at Saratoga, fastest of 48 moves at the distance that day.

Although entered in the Jim Dandy, Ralph Evans and WinStar Farm's Upstart—making his first outing since a last-place finish in the Kentucky Derby—will run in the Haskell, per Asbury Park Press reporter Stephen Edelson.

Taking on those accomplished 3-year-olds Saturday will be Barry Schwartz's improving Japan, who enters off a clear victory in the Easy Goer Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard. 

Todd Pletcher has entered grade III winner Competitive Edge, although the trainer said he plans to also enter the son of Super Saver   in the Haskell. Pletcher initially had pointed Florida Derby winner Materiality to the Jim Dandy, but did not enter him after the star colt's training failed to meet his expectations.

Rounding out the entries are late-running Frammento, who will start from the inside post for trainer Nick Zito, and grade III-placed Tekton.