Frosted Turns in Easy Move for Travers

TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) winner Frosted returned to the track Aug. 14 for his first serious work since finishing second in the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course.

The gray colt breezed four furlongs in :51.25 over the Saratoga main track under regular exercise rider Rob Massey in preparation for the Travers Stakes (gr. I) coming up Aug. 29.

"He usually works a little bit quicker, but he's fit and ready to go. Rob thought he was going a little faster than that, but the track might have been a little dull at 5:40 (a.m.), or maybe Frosted was a little sleepy," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

"Everything is set," he added. "We'll work back next Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, depending on weather. He'll go a little quicker, but it's not a big deal. He's fit."

After a successful 2-year-old campaign that included a second-place finish in the Remsen (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack, Frosted stepped his game up as a sophomore. The son of Tapit   finished second in the Lambholm South Holy Bull (gr. II) to kick off 2015, and then won the Wood two starts later, on the heels of a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II).

Frosted was sent off at odds of 10-1 in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and finished fourth behind eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah after a wide trip. The Godolphin Racing color-bearer again encountered American Pharoah in the June 6 Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (gr. I), this time finishing second, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by his champion rival.

With American Pharoah's Travers status still in limbo, McLaughlin is somewhat ambivalent about having to face the Bob Baffert trainee for a third time this year after Frosted's good second in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy.

"Obviously, we've been beat by him twice, so we prefer not to run against him, but if he shows up it's great for the game," McLaughlin said. "We'll deal with it. We're not adjusting our schedule."

Should the Triple Crown winner not show, McLaughlin is confident his colt is capable of firing a winning race, including turning the tables on Jim Dandy winner Texas Red in the longer Travers, which is run at 1 1/4 miles.

"We like our chances," he said. "With equal weights, it should help us against Texas Red, but they're good horses (pointing to the Travers). It'll be a good race, either way. We're ready."