Frosted and Upstart put in final works for Whitney

Godolphin Racing's Frosted breezed a half-mile Friday at the Greentree Training Center behind Saratoga's main track in preparation for the Grade 1 Whitney.

 

The 4-year-old Tapit colt went in 49.60 seconds over the all-weather surface, his fourth work since a record-setting 14 ¼-length victory in the Grade 1 Mohegan Sun Metropolitan Handicap June 11 at Belmont Park.

 

"He worked very well. It was just a maintenance work," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "He's doing great, ready to go. He couldn't be doing any better."

 

McLaughlin has continued to train Frosted at Greentree rather than on the main track, where Frosted is still looking for his first victory. He was second in his career debut in 2014 and second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and third in the Grade 1 Travers last summer.

 

Frosted's Met Mile win not only came by the largest margin in its storied 123-year history, but the final time of 1:32.73 was also a stakes record.

 

"We're not looking for a repeat performance, but I don't think we have to," McLaughlin said. "We're just looking for him to run a big race."

 

McLaughlin has won with seven of his first 10 starters at the meet and will send out Mohaymen in Saturday's Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy. It will be the multiple Grade 2 winner's first start since he was fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby May 7.

 

"Mohaymen is all set. We're ready," he said. "All systems go."

 

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Upstart, who finished fourth in last year's Travers worked Friday morning over Saratoga's main track in preparation for the Grade 1 Whitney.

 

Upstart's trainer, Rick Violette, clocked the New York-bred ridgling going four furlongs in "47 and change, and out in one minute." New York Racing Association clockers credited the 4-year-old with a five-furlong move in 1:00, the third-fastest of 29 works at the distance.

 

Typically a quick worker, Upstart's move was to Violette's liking. 

 

"If we put blinkers on him, which he will run in, he will go in 46, and that is too fast," Violette said. "He likes to run off a fairly quick breeze. We did enough with him now, and we'll gallop him into the race."

 

Ralph M. Evans and WinStar Farm's Upstart last ran in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park June 11. He finished third, beaten 15 1/4 lengths by the winner, Frosted, whose facile win was much-heralded.

 

"We probably should have been second," Violette said of Upstart. "We walked out of the gate; he's been having issues not leaving there. We actually broke him out of the gate here last week, and I hate breaking older horses out of the gate, but I think we had to try everything, because he has been flopping out of there. 

 

"Going in the first part of the race, he's been taking whatever position has been left, rather than the position where you really think you should be," the trainer continued. "With horses who are equally as good or better than you, you can't afford to give up position. Hopefully, we break running a little bit, and [Irad Ortiz Jr.] can place Upstart where he wants to place him."

 

Violette said Samraat, a good second to Effinex in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap July 9, is not yet confirmed for the 1 1/8-mile Whitney. Owned by Len Riggio's My Meadowview Farm, Samraat is scheduled to breeze at Saratoga on Saturday.

 

"I will talk it over with Mr. Riggio; I haven't ruled the Whitney out, but it's really close - four weeks - off of his lifetime best record and he is supposed to regress off of that," Violette remarked. "The Woodward is in another four weeks, and that might be the best place for him. But I'm not ruling out the Whitney, if he breezes lights-out or something like that, and Mr. Riggio wants to do it, we might show up."