Amis Gizmo meets familiar rivals in Frost King
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The unbeaten Amis Gizmo, one of Woodbine’s leading 2-year-olds, will be well backed Wednesday night in the $125,000 Frost King Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint.
Amis Gizmo is coming off a convincing score over two of these rivals in the Bull Page, another Ontario-sired stakes. Ruth Less Blue went straight to the lead in that six-furlong sprint and set honest fractions. Amis Gizmo pressed him along the rail and took control in the stretch before coasting home on top by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:10.06 under Luis Contreras.
Amis Gizmo was exiting a gutsy, off-the-pace debut victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe, a stakes for graduates of local yearling sales.
“We were a little concerned about cutting back in distance,” said trainer Josie Carroll. “Ultimately, I think farther is going to be better, but he was precocious enough that we felt comfortable [in the Bull Page].”
Just four others were entered in the Frost King, which is race 6 on a solid eight-race card.
Key contenders
Amis Gizmo (Last 2 Beyers: 75-83)
◗ The son of Giant Gizmo is bred to be a good one. His dam dropped the stakes winner Aragorn Ami and the Grade 2-placed Ami’s Flatter, who was on this year’s Kentucky Derby trail before going to the sidelines after a poor showing in the Queen’s Plate.
Ultraflame (Last 3 Beyers: 71-69-66)
◗ After graduating in a romp the second time out Aug. 2, he wound up third after attending the pace in the Simcoe.
◗ He surprisingly was last early after getting away slowly in an Oct. 18 allowance and mounted a five-wide bid to finish second to the favored Aye Aye Captain. Expect him to be closer to the pace this time under new rider Patrick Husbands, who won the Frost King three times from 2011-13.
Ruth Less Blue (Last 3 Beyers: 64-70-71)
◗ Despite running greenly in the stretch, this speedy gelding held off the good Conquest Daddyo to win the six-furlong Vandal Stakes in August.
◗ He has worked nicely on dirt and Polytrack since fading to third in the Bull Page but is questionable going this far.
Me More (Last 3 Beyers: 66-58-59)
◗ This maiden got away slowly before closing four wide from seventh to finish second in the Bull Page. He shouldn’t mind stretching out to the back of the chute under regular rider Jermaine Bridgmohan.
◗ Trainer Nick Gonzalez won the 2007 Frost King with Stuck in Traffic.