Frosted Works Bullet Toward Travers
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The last time he breezed, Frosted's trainer Kiaran McLaughlin joked the gray colt might have still felt sleepy—in the early morning hours Aug. 14; his four-furlong move under exercise rider Rob Massey was a slow :51.25 on the Saratoga Race Course main track.
Blood-Horse Staff: Frosted Turns in Easy Move for Travers
On Aug. 20, however, tightening the screws for an upcoming run in the Aug. 29 Travers Stakes (gr. I), the 3-year-old son of Tapit got down to business under jockey Joel Rosario with a five-furlong bullet move in :59.59 over the same surface. Frosted worked in company with Cavallucci, a maiden son of Bernardini owned by Godolphin Racing.
"We worked back in six days because rain is coming, and we worked five-eighths because last week we went a little slow," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "We switched to Joel Rosario also because we went a little last time—Rob Massey is a great exercise rider but we just decided to let Joel sit on him, and everything went great. We're very happy with him and we're ready to go."
Winner of the Twinspires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) and a good closing fourth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Frosted was the closest of all to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the June 6 Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (gr. I), finishing second by 5 1/2 lengths.
The Godolphin Racing runner then got edged by half a length by Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Texas Red in the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II). In the latter 1 1/8-mile test, Frosted was the 123-pound highweight while Texas Red carried 119 pounds. All runners for the 1 1/4-mile Travers will carry 126 pounds.
"He got beat that day by a very nice horse, but he also lost a shoe soon after the start," McLaughlin said. "Running with three shoes and four more pounds than Texas Red ... I think equal weights (in the Travers) will help even the playing field.
"But it was a true prep race and provided American Pharoah isn't here, I think we're the horse to beat. If he's here, he's here, and we have to face him again, but it doesn't change our preparation. It just means our odds will be a little higher."