By Ben Massam
Frosted (Tapit) has come a long way in five months.
But as trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will be the first to tell you, there was much room for improvement after Feb. 21, when the promising gray seized command at the head of the stretch in Gulfstream Park's GII Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth S., only to stop abruptly and finish fourth.
In the aftermath of the race, McLaughlin and team put aside their disappointment and adjusted a number of variables, including a change to the size of the colt's blinkers and a minor corrective procedure on his palate. Frosted responded with a win in the Apr. 4 GI Twinspires.com Wood Memorial and admirable runs behind Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Kentucky Derby [fourth] and the GI Belmont S. [second].
Now, with the confidence of Frosted being a fresh and known commodity, McLaughlin and the Godolphin colorbearer have their eyes set on the second half of 2015–a campaign that kicks off in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga.
“Frosted is doing great,” McLaughlin said during a national teleconference Tuesday. “We had him at Greentree Training Center [in Saratoga Springs], which is owned by Sheikh Mohammed. It's a very nice training facility, a beautiful place to train a horse and graze them in the morning and afternoon. It's just wonderful, and he's been up here training since pretty much right after the Belmont. He's been working weekly on the main track and doing very well.”
The dual Classic-winning trainer said he feels that Frosted gained significant maturity in the aftermath of his disappointing finish in the Fountain of Youth and throughout the Triple Crown season. Consequently, he acknowledged that his task as trainer has shifted from prognostication to maintenance.
“Ever since all the changes before the Wood Memorial, we haven't been looking for any more changes,” the conditioner explained. “We finally got him right on track, and basically we're just trying to keep him happy, healthy and fit. He's doing very well. He seems to be maturing less, and just doing everything right. He continues to be healthy, sound and happy–so we're happy.”
Even before Frosted's runner-up finish in the Belmont, McLaughlin noted that the GI Travers S.–the centerpiece of the Saratoga meet to be held Aug. 29–is a primary goal for the colt. The trainer said he views this weekend's run in the Jim Dandy as both a meaningful and ideal prep for that event.
“I think it's important to have a race over the track, and the Jim Dandy is an important race on its own,” the trainer added. “We've won a Grade I in the Wood Memorial, but the Jim Dandy stands alone as a top race. We look forward to trying to win it.”
Although it is natural to wonder what might have transpired if Frosted had not been foaled during the same year as American Pharoah, McLaughlin maintains perspective and has his eyes on what could prove to be a memorable second half of the 2015 season.
“I don't look back much–I'm always looking forward,” concluded McLaughlin. “If we could get the Jim Dandy and/or the Travers, it would be a huge year for us. We had a very nice 3-year-old for the Triple Crown, but we ran into the Triple Crown winner. It's unfortunate, but we're proud of Frosted and we hope we have a chance to win some big races going forward.”
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