Frost Wise may not have much company in Bay Ridge

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares has been a battle of attrition. And it hasn’t even been run yet.

After failing to fill one time and being canceled twice more due to weather, the Bay Ridge is back on the card for Thursday at Aqueduct. For the third time, it has a five-horse field topped by Frost Wise, a 16 1/4-length winner of an allowance race Nov. 30.

The race got somewhat easier for Frost Wise on Monday when the connections of at least one horse confirmed they were scratching and a second trainer is monitoring an issue with another.

Trainer Chris Englehart said Monday that Might Be, who had not been entered the previous two times the race was carded, has an infected hock that will keep her in the barn. Trainer Charlton Baker advised that Riot Worthy nicked herself in a workout last Friday. The issue is not serious, but Baker is still not certain Riot Worthy starts.

Meanwhile, Frost Wise blew out three furlongs in 38.68 seconds Monday over the Belmont Park training track as trainer Michael Dilger is hopeful of finally getting a chance to run.

Frost Wise has run her two best numbers since being stretched out to one mile in distance. She finished third in a first-level allowance race Nov. 8 and then came back Nov. 30 to clear that condition by 16 1/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

Dilger called the allowance win “a breakout performance” for Frost Wise, who will be trying 1 1/8 miles and two turns for the first time in the Bay Ridge.

Frost Wise looms the main speed of the race under Kendrick Carmouche.

“She’s been forwardly placed in all of her races bar one, and it’s what she likes to do,” Dilger said. “I imagine in a short field like this she should be on or close to the pace.”

Frostie Anne is stretching out from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. Rudy Rodriguez claimed Frostie Anne for $25,000 on Dec. 14 and when he entered the filly the first time, he feared he was running her back on too short of rest. The three-week delay has allowed him to breeze the filly twice over Aqueduct’s main track.

Rodriguez also entered Frosty Margarita, who finished sixth in an open-company allowance race Dec. 10 at Laurel Park.

In her only start at 1 1/8 miles, Riot Worthy finished second in the Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga in 2016.

Should she run Thursday, “I think she’ll be okay with it,” Baker said. “She’s got a long stride.”