McLaughlin Set for Weekend, Derby Trail
by Ben Massam
As the road to the GI Kentucky Derby winds on, very few trainers have as many highly regarded prospects in their barn as Kiaran McLaughlin. This coming weekend will be a particularly eventful one, as he sends out Frosted (Tapit) in the GII Besilu Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park and Imperia (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds.
McLaughlin acknowledged that Frosted’s recent runner-up effort in the GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S. came behind a very talented rival in Upstart (Flatter), but also said he feels that the race did not play out in a favorable manner for his trainee.
“In the Holy Bull, we were simply second best that day,” noted McLaughlin. “But we had the one hole and Upstart had a beautiful, uneventful trip. We had to sit back inside, take dirt, and angle out at the three-eighths pole. So we were pleased with his run.”
With Frosted coming out of the race in good order, McLaughlin said he believes the addition of blinkers and better tactical circumstances will yield an improved performance on Saturday.
“He’s doing great and training very well,” the trainer said. “Can we make up five lengths is the question. We hope that the blinkers will help us and help [jockey Irad Ortiz]. Once he hit him right-handed, he ducked in a couple of paths. We worked him in blinkers last week and he worked really well. We’re post six, so that should help that we’re more out in the clear.”
The grey put in his final work for the Fountain of Youth at Palm Meadows Sunday, a four-furlong move in :48.75.
A little less than an hour after Frosted carries the silks of Godolphin Racing LLC at Gulfstream, Imperia will do the same at the Fair Grounds. The colt, who broke his maiden in the GIII Pilgrim S. over the turf at Belmont Park last autumn, was a runner-up to El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) when switched to the dirt in the Nov. 29 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs.
The homebred’s dam, Cocoa Beach (Chi) (Doneraile Court), won the GI Beldame S. on dirt for Goldolphin in 2008.
McLaughlin says he is pleased with how Imperia is training over the main track at Palm Meadows ahead of his sophomore debut this Saturday. The dark bay breezed four furlongs in :48 flat this past Saturday.
“He’s doing great,” revealed the conditioner. “We hope that he stays running on the dirt and we don’t have to go back to turf any time soon. But he ran great on the dirt and he’s training well. We’re hopeful that he likes the Fair Grounds dirt as much as he likes Churchill’s dirt.”
While Imperia must reaffirm his ability on the main track, McLaughlin has had very few questions to answer about his unbeaten colt Ocean Knight (Curlin). Owned by Stonestreet Stables LLC, the bay most recently annexed the GIII Sam F. Davis S. in his second career start at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 31.
“He’s a nice horse and obviously hasn’t done anything wrong yet,” commented McLaughlin. “We were pointing to the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, but Carpe Diem (Giant’s Causeway) is pointing that way for the same owner. We’re going to continue pointing to Mar. 7, but we have a plane lined up to go to New York for the GIII Gotham S. if we have to.”
McLaughlin is also likely to give Classy Class (Discreetly Mine)–most recently third in the Feb. 7 GIII Withers S.–another chance in graded stakes company.
“He came out of his race in good shape and we’re going to point for the Gotham Mar. 7, or possibly the GII Rebel at Oaklawn Mar. 14,” explained McLaughlin. “We’ll just keep our options open everywhere. He’s a nice horse and we’d like to try to cover him up and not be on the lead next time.”
McLaughlin added that he is looking forward to sending out Wisecracker (Distorted Humor) in a maiden event in the coming weeks. The colt ran second on debut behind “TDN Rising Star” Khozan (Distorted Humor) at Gulfstream Jan. 24.
“We’re going to run him back in a maiden race, but he could end up in a stakes after that.”