Godolphin Racing's Frosted (Tapit) breezed a half-mile in :49.60 over the all-weather at Greentree Training Center Friday in preparation for the Aug. 6 GI Whitney S.
“He worked very well. It was just a maintenance work,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “He's doing great, ready to go. He couldn't be doing any better.”
It was the gray's fourth work since romping by 14 1/4 lengths in Belmont's GI Metropolitan H. June 11. That was not only the largest winning margin in Met Mile history, but the final time of 1:32.73 was a stakes record as well.
“We're not looking for a repeat performance, but I don't think we have to,” McLaughlin said. “We're just looking for him to run a big race.”
Also on the worktab was fellow Whitney contender Upstart (Flatter), who pleased conditioner Rick Violette with a five-furlong move in 1:00 flat (3/29) over the Saratoga main track.
“If we put blinkers on him, which he will run in, he will go in :46, and that is too fast,” Violette said. “He likes to run off a fairly quick breeze. We did enough with him now, and we'll gallop him into the race.”
The hard-knocking New York-bred was last seen finishing third to Frosted in the Met Mile.
“Going in the first part of the race, he's been taking whatever position has been left, rather than the position where you really think you should be,” Violette said. “With horses who are equally as good or better than you, you can't afford to give up position. Hopefully, we break running a little bit, and [Irad Ortiz, Jr.] can place Upstart where he wants to place him.”
Violette is also considering GII Suburban H. runner-up Samraat (Noble Causeway) for the Whitney.
“I will talk it over with Mr. [Len] Riggio; I haven't ruled the Whitney out, but it's really close–four weeks–off of his lifetime best record and he is supposed to regress off of that,” Violette remarked. “The [GI] Woodward [S. Sept. 3] is in another four weeks, and that might be the best place for him. But I'm not ruling out the Whitney, if he breezes lights-out or something like that, and Mr. Riggio wants to do it, we might show up.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
