Upstart, Frosted Work at Palm Meadows

Ralph Evans’ Upstart (Flatter) and Godolphin Racing LLC’s Frosted (Tapit), second and fourth in the Feb. 21 GII Fountain of Youth S. respectively, each posted six-furlong workouts at Palm Meadows Training Center Friday morning. Both colts are being pointed toward a potential start in the Mar. 28 GI Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Upstart, who crossed the wire first in the Fountain of Youth, only to be disqualified and placed second behind Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) for interference, completed his breeze in 1:13.40. It was his second work since the race.

“It was a terrific work,” commented trainer Rick Violette. “He went in 13 and change and he got a good blow out of it. I don’t think the racetrack was all that fast when he was working around 8:30, 8:35 (a.m. ET).”

Violette said earlier this week that the Florida Derby is now Upstart’s next main objective on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

“He came out of it good, so all systems are go,” noted Violette. “I’m thrilled with where we are.”

Meanwhile, Frosted stopped the clock in 1:11.65 while working in company–the fastest of four moves at the distance. The grey took the lead turning for home in the Fountain of Youth, but stopped abruptly and tired in the stretch.

“We’re trying to eliminate some things that happened to him in the Fountain of Youth,” explained trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “We don’t know why he kind of pulled himself up or stopped. We put him behind horses [yesterday] and we were very pleased with his work. What we were happy to see was a very serious work and that he did it the right way.”

The trainer added that while a start in the Florida Derby remains a possibility, Frosted could alternatively compete Apr. 4 in Aqueduct’s GI Wood Memorial S. or Keeneland’s GI Blue Grass S.

“We’re happy with where we are, but we still don’t know exactly where we’re going,” McLaughlin said.