Frosted Doing Well After Whitney

Frosted (Tapit), Saturday's facile two-length winner of Saratoga's GI Whitney S. as the heavy favorite, seemed no worse for wear Sunday according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “He came out of the race excellent,” offered the conditioner. “That's him. He's very happy. He's a star. It makes our job easy. It was a great race [Saturday], and it's great to be in the winner's circle with Marylou Whitney.” With his Whitney win, Frosted earned an automatic spot into the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5. He already owned a berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by virtue of his jaw-dropping 14 1/2-length romp in the GI Metropolitan H. at Belmont June 11. “We always were thinking Classic anyway, because Santa Anita is a two-turn mile–a one-turn mile would be different,” McLaughlin explained of his year-end leanings, “but the way he ran yesterday on the lead maybe the mile's okay at Santa Anita because he's forwardly placed. We'll just see, but most likely he'll stay long.” As for Breeders' Cup stepping stones, McLaughlin has two options in mind: the GI Woodward S. over nine panels back at the Spa Sept. 3, and/or the 1 1/4-mile GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Oct. 8. “Obviously the Breeders' Cup is the main goal,” he said. “Coming from the Breeders' Cup backwards, we could run in both of those races, one of those races or neither. I'll talk to Jimmy Bell and John Ferguson and they'll talk to the boss, Sheikh Mohammed, and see what their ideas are.”

Frosted's stablemate, 'TDN Rising Star' Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro), who dueled through extremely fast splits as the favorite in Saturday's GI Test S. before fading to sixth, was also doing fine Sunday despite her disappointing finish. “It's just a shame that they decided to go with us so fast,” McLaughlin noted. “[A half-mile in] :43 2/5, no one can hold up to that. That was too bad, but she was OK out of the race. I'm not sure what's next. Obviously the [Sept. 4 GII] Prioress is at the end of the meet. It's there, but we'll just see how she's doing.”