Godolphin homebred Frosted (Tapit) spent much of 2015 chasing Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) around America's racetracks–he was second to the Horse of the Year in the GI Belmont S., fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby and third behind him in the GI Travers S.–and the grey will have the chance to step into his generation's limelight in 2016 in a campaign that gets going in Thursday's G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 at Meydan.
Despite the aforementioned defeats, Frosted did have a pretty fruitful campaign last year, winning the GI Wood Memorial and GII Pennsylvania Derby. He has not run since beating only Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) home in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on Halloween. Frosted and four Kiaran McLaughlin-trained stablemates arrived in Dubai last week, and Frosted has been training at Charlie Appleby's Marmoom Stables for a potential three-race campaign expected to culminate in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26.
“Frosted has settled in really well and is training great,” said McLaughlin, who also saddles stakes winner Elnaawi (Street Sense). “He has been off the track for a while but looks fit and ready to go. We think he is ready for a big effort in what could be the first of three Meydan outings. We will seriously consider Super Saturday and the concluding round of the Maktoum Challenge, but will wait and see how he gets on Thursday and how he comes out of the race.”
Frosted will be ridden for the first time by William Buick.
While Frosted is the clear-cut class of the field, he will have to see off some race-fit foes. U.S. export Prayer For Relief (Jump Start) didn't make much of an impression when eighth of 15 in last year's G2 Godolphin Mile in his lone outing of the carnival, but he looked an improved proposition when third in the Jan. 7 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 for trainer Mike de Kock. Bookending him in the placings that day were Layl (Street Cry {Ire}) and Faulkner (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), both trained by former McLaughlin assistant Doug Watson.
“Both are in really good form,” said Watson. “Frosted is a serious horse obviously but our two should run well.”
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