All Frosted in Pa Derby

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s day started out at Belmont, where he saddled the $2.2-million 2014 co-Keeneland September sale-topper Mohaymen (Tapit–Justwhistledixie) to a determined debut victory at Belmont Park for Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stable. His day ended in suburban Philadelphia at Parx Racing, where Frosted (Tapit), a homebred raced by Sheikh Hamdan’s brother Sheikh Mohammed, sat a midfield trip and proved two lengths too tough for eight other rivals in the $1-million GII Pennsylvania Derby.

Saturday, Parx
PENNSYLVANIA DERBY-GII, $1,000,000, PRX, 9-19, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.04, ft.
1–FROSTED, 124, c, 3, by Tapit
1st Dam: Fast Cookie (GSW, $557,4800), by Deputy Minister
2nd Dam: Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags
3rd Dam: Dear Mimi, by Roberto
O-Godolphin Racing LLC; B-Darley (KY); T-Kiaran P
McLaughlin; J-Joel Rosario. $576,000. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 12-3-6-1, $2,062,800. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. [bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″] 2–Iron Fist, 117, c, 3, Tapit–Successful Outlook, by
Orientate. ($1,550,000 Ylg ’13 KEESEP). O-Regis
Farms & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Gainesway
Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer.
$192,000. [bullet ad=”gainesway-bred-consigned-by-hill-n-dale”] 3–Tommy Macho, 117, c, 3, Macho Uno–Starstream,
by Awesome Again. ($25,000 Ylg ’13 FTKOCT).
O-Paul Pompa, Jr. & All American Horses LLC;
B-John Liviakis (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $105,600. [bullet ad=”war-horse-place-raised-sold”] Margins: 2, 8, 2. Odds: 1.00, 10.50, 15.20.
Also Ran: Mr. Z, Upstart, War Story, Madefromlucky, Island Town, Battle Midway. Scratched: Gimme Da Lute.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Unlucky not to close 2014 as the winner of the GII Remsen S., Frosted entered his sophomore season with high expectations, and if a runner-up effort to Upstart (Flatter) in the GII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Jan. 24 was not a cause for panic, a fourth after looking every bit a winner in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 21 was, so it was back to the drawing board. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin admitted to starting with a clean slate and instead of remaining in South Florida for the GI Florida Derby at the end of March, opted for an extra week of prep, and the decision reaped dividends when Frosted ran out a two-length winner of the GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial S. Apr. 4 wirth Joel Rosario at the controls for the first time.

Sent off the 10-1 fifth choice for the GI Kentucky Derby May 2, Frosted raced well back in the field and, despite having to cover ground on the turn, ran on gamely to be fourth, beaten a little over three lengths. Connections elected to skip the Preakness, in favor of the GI Belmont S. June 6, and though he was asked to race closer to the pace, stayed on gamely for second, some 5 1/2 lengths adrift of American Pharoah. Ridden forward in a four-horse renewal of the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga Aug. 1, Frosted plugged away late to drop a half-length to Texas Red (Afleet Alex) while giving that one four pounds and was exiting a third in the GI Travers S. Aug. 29 where, somewhat surprisingly, he was the one to push the Triple Crown winner along through swifter-than-par fractions.

Off as the even-money favorite to return to his winning ways, Frosted was away without incident and was outsprinted in the early going as Ohio Derby hero Mr. Z (Malibu Moon) was able to cross and clear his rivals from his widest berth and was chased along by Iron Fist, GIII Matt Winn S. hero Island Town (Hard Spun) three wide and Upstart four deep on the track. Joel Rosario was therefore allowed to draft in behind and save all the ground while driven along into a midfield position rounding the clubhouse turn. Though the fractions were not overly taxing by any definition, Mr. Z was pushed along by Iron Fist through a half-mile in :48.50, and Rosario hit the gas ever so slightly at the 4 1/2-furlong marker, allowing Frosted to slide up into a joint third just to the inside of Island Town. As they banked into the second turn, Joel Rosario’s body language said that Frosted was going almost too well as he sat hard against the gray colt, who was waiting for his cue. Pulled out to deliver his challenge three wide at the five-sixteenths, Frosted came after Iron Fist and Mike Smith at the quarter pole, went to him in hand a furlong and a half from home and kicked on nicely under hands and heels for a tidy success. Tommy Macho, three wide outside of stablemate Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky) on the backstretch, was neatly steered to the inside of Upstart to save ground and finished the best of the rest for third.

Frosted’s dam, a half-sister to champion Midshipman (Unbridled’s Song), posted her career high-water mark at Philly Park, taking the 2003 GII Cotillion H. for Stonerside Stable and Bill Mott. Fast Cookie, among the mares acquired by Sheikh Mohammed through his purchase of the Stonerside stock, is represented by the 2-year-old Bernardini filly Indulgent and, according to The Jockey Club, was bred this season to Tapit and Street Sense.