Inside the Trip: Frosted … Toasted in the Remsen

Frosted (left) nearly bested Leave the Light On even with an outside trip. (Photo by NYRA/Coglianese Photos)
On a day when being inside was a fantastic aide, Frosted was no less than three wide for the majority of the Remsen, and still just missed besting Leave the Light On in a thrilling renewal of the last major juvenile event for the New York season. The numbers are as gaudy as you would expect from watching the race.
2014 REMSEN STAKES

Frosted covered 61 feet more than Leave the Light On, a distance that suggests the Godolphin trainee went nearly seven lengths more than the winner of the Grade 2 event. Maintaining his position in the three path, Frosted averaged 37.2 mph during the Remsen, while Leave the Light On averaged just 36.8 mph throughout the race.
Keen Ice was well behind in third, but one of the few to make up any ground in the race, running the final quarter in a race-best 25.28 seconds (albeit on the inside). Winner Leave the Light On had the second quickest last two furlongs, home in 25.51 seconds.
Crosby Season Closes
California Chrome won the Hollywood Derby in his first try on turf, an incredibly exciting, and nearly unexpected showing after his Breeders’ Cup third. While the competition in the race may have left something to be desired, what we were treated to was classic Chrome. Victor Espinoza guided his Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winning charge into the clear. Once Sawyer’s Hill went forward to take up the running, Espinoza got California Chrome off the rail and he happily covered extra ground.
2014 HOLLYWOOD DERBY

At the finish, California Chrome covered the widest trip from the first five finishers, going 27 feet more than Lexie Lou and 31 feet more than Talco. His final half-mile was timed in 48.56 seconds after his opening half in 47.48. Lexie Lou ran her final furlong fastest, home in 12.00 seconds compared to Talco’s 12.09 seconds, then California Chrome’s 12.17 seconds. Talco claimed the fastest overall final two furlongs of the Hollywood Derby, closing from last with a time of 23.89 seconds.
The Matriarch, also run at Del Mar for the first time, was a tale of two races. If you saved ground, you ended up in the trifecta. If you didn’t, your filly appeared to have been well-beaten. The data might suggest some of these also-ran performances were potentially better than it first seemed.
2014 MATRIARCH STAKES

La Tia led every step of the Grade 1 journey. Queen of the Sand broke from the rail and stayed there throughout, coming inside of Discreet Marq who raced inside until bending off the final turn. Fourth-home Gender Agenda covered 33 feet more than La Tia, while fifth-place Strathnaver, the 7-2 third choice, went 43 feet farther than the rail-skimming winner. Those differences approximate to an added 3 ¾ and five lengths, respectively (they were beaten four and 5 ¾ lengths). Strathnaver was particularly stymied by the trip, traveling at least three wide.
Conquest Typhoon, off his solid fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, won the Cecil B. De Mille Stakes on the Matriarch undercard. Last time out, he actually covered the widest trip, going 30 feet more than winner Hootenanny and 55 feet more than second placer Luck of the Kitten, suggesting the effort was quite strong to still be fourth.
2014 CECIL B. DeMILLE STAKES

Third home in the De Mille was Rock Shandy, who just edged St. Joe Bay for the show dough. Widest on the first turn before settling in the two-path, Rock Shandy actually covered 46 feet more than his photo-finish mate, averaging 37.5 MPH over the course of the race compared to St. Joe Bay’s 37.2 MPH. Sixth-placer Papacoolpapacool endured the widest trip in the race, going 13 feet more than Conquest Typhoon. 
The juvenile fillies hit the lawn on Saturday with the Jimmy Durante Stakes and ground-saving was certainly in good style as Ol’ Fashion Gal took the shortest path home. Rainha Da Bateria, Don’t Blame Me, and Jaded Glory were all right there at the finish, and the second, third, and fourth placers from the race were definitely faster throughout, a product of their longer trips. Respectively, they traveled 29, 60, and 41 feet more than Ol’ Fashion Gal, who sprung a 21-1 upset. Jaded Glory was the quickest finisher, with final sectionals of 23.52 and 11.71 seconds, 0.52 and 0.22 seconds faster than the winner.
Dortmund dominated
It was just an allowance race on the “Stars of Tomorrow” card, but Dortmund impressed many with his second consecutive runaway victory. Closing as the shortest-priced individual choice in the first pool of the 2015 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, the Kaleem Shah-owned juvenile covered the widest trip, from the widest draw, over the one-turn one mile distance at Churchill Downs, winning by almost 8 lengths. There is plenty more to come as the Derby prep season heats-up, so we won’t get too carried away with the hype …for now.