Frac Daddy Smashes Clear for Eclipse Win
A talented field of eight proved no match for last year's Triple Crown contender Frac Daddy to win the $200,000 Grade 2 Eclipse at Woodbine, coming 2/5 of a second short of breaking the track record.
Under the first-time guidance of Luis Contreras, Frac Daddy settled comfortably behind the pacesetter as Really Sharp posted early fractions of :24 1/5, :48 4/5 and 1:12 2/5. Alpha Bettor, defending his win in last year's Eclipse, saved ground a length behind the leaders, with Are You Kidding me to the outside.
Frac Daddy shook off Really Sharp at the 1/4 pole and drew clear to win by nearly five lengths. Finishing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.74, Frac Daddy was a fraction of a second from breaking the track record of 1:42.40 set by True Metropolitan in 2007.
Alpha Bettor caught up with Really Sharp at the top of the stretch and the pair dueled to the line for second. Really Sharp won a close photo place over Alpha Bettor.
Trained by Kenny McPeek, Frac Daddy made his first trip to Woodbine a successful one and is now three for three on artificial surfaces. Both of his previous wins came at Keeneland: an off-the-turf allowance last October and a four-length score in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes on April 19.
McPeek's assistant trainer, Matt Shirer was certainly pleased with his charge's performance. "We've definitely found his niche," he said after the race. "He obviously loved this track and he's won at Keeneland. We'll see what else is available for us."
"He's grown a lot since his three year old year," Shirer added. "He's a whole other horse now and we're happy with him."
A 4-year-old grey colt by Scat Daddy, out of the Skip Away dam Skipper's Mate, Frac Daddy was bred in Kentucky by Nancy M. Leonard Living Trust. He is a Keeneland Sale graduate, purchased for $50,000 as a yearling by Magic City Thoroughbred Partners LLC. With the Eclipse win, Frac Daddy has earned more than $750,000 for his connections from a record of five wins and five seconds from 15 career starts.