Frost Free leads all the way in Chick Lang Stakes

BALTIMORE - Frost Free jumped out of the gate on top and, despite drifting out some in the stretch, was never seriously headed en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Pimlico.

Cats by Five, who finished behind Frost Free in his previous two starts, did so again in the Chick Lang, finishing second by 1 1/2 lengths over a slow-starting Mr Skylight.

It was the first graded stakes win - and first graded stakes starter - for trainer Brett Creighton, who has been training since 1989, according to Equibase.

“I’ve been in the business a very long time, it means a lot,” said Creighton, who did not train for a 10-year period after 1997.

Frost Free had finished third in the Hot Springs Stakes going a mile on March 23 and second in the Bachelor Stakes going six furlongs in April. In both races he set the pace and faded.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.Saturday, with Irad With Irad Ortiz Jr. riding for the first time, Frost Free broke on top, had a two-length advantage after an opening quarter in 23.24 seconds, and was still clear after a half-mile in 46.66 over the sealed, muddy surface.

In upper stretch, Ortiz hit Frost Free left-handed on three occasions, and the horse drifted out some, but he was well clear and was a relatively handy winner.

Frost Free, a son of Frosted owned by Keene Thoroughbreds, covered the six furlongs in 1:11.39 (93 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $5.60 as the favorite.

“I saw the race he ran in the slop he didn’t run that well, so I was a little [concerned],” said Ortiz, referring to an allowance at Oaklawn in February in which Frost Free was beaten seven lengths. “But I let him be happy, let him be free, let him be relaxed and he was there for me whenever I wanted him.”

Creighton said he was not concerned about the wet track, saying that Frost Free is a better horse now than he was in February. That day, he was also facing a tough rival in Booth.

“It was the spot that he was in at that time,” Creighton said. “He matured, grew up, he’s improving with every race.”

Cats by Five was third early and could cut into only some of the margin in the stretch. It was the third straight race that Cats by Five finished right behind Frost Free.

“He ran solid,” Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Cats by Five said. “I would have rather it had been fast for him. I didn’t love his sloppy track races before, but he’s getting a little better.”

Mr Skylight, who broke from the rail, got away terribly under Flavien Prat, was more than a dozen lengths off the pace down the backside, but made a good run to finish third, three lengths behind the winner.

“That’s wildly disappointing,” trainer Riley Mott said. “He was on the rail but there’s a little space to his inside. “Flavien said he broke a step slow, then just went to open space on the left. Down the backside Flavien said I don’t think I’m going to beat a horse so he ran very well to finish where he did.”

Behind Mr Skylight, in order, were Catahoula Moon, Market Street, Petingas Twin, Sweet Soddy J and Classic Joke.

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