Frosted back on track for Derby after Wood Memorial victory

Two weeks before last year’s Kentucky Derby, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin had to withdraw Cairo Prince from the race due to an injury. At the time, he called it the “toughest day in my career as a trainer.”

That memory made Frosted’s victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct that much more meaningful as both McLaughlin and Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum’s Godolphin Racing – which had bought into Cairo Prince early last year – appear headed back to the Kentucky Derby.

“For sure, it’s special for Godolphin being a homebred [by Tapit] and for me working for them for 22 years,” McLaughlin said. “It’s just special to get there. We have to still get there. It’s four weeks away. Now, we have to avoid any mishaps for four weeks.”

McLaughlin, who won his first Grade 1 since Alpha took the 2013 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, appeared to have corrected all the mishaps Frosted experienced in south Florida this winter by making a bevy of changes that paid dividends.

Seemingly on his way to victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, Frosted appeared to pull himself up, and he finished fourth.

Since then, McLaughlin put Frosted behind horses in a workout, and the colt went by them without hesitation. Frosted underwent a throat operation, known as a Llewellyn procedure, in case he displaced in the Fountain of Youth. McLaughlin somewhat reluctantly changed riders from Irad Ortiz Jr. to Joel Rosario. McLaughlin even altered the blinkers he had put on for the first time in the Fountain of Youth. Finally, McLaughlin returned Frosted to Aqueduct, where he had a win and a second last fall.

“I think our team earned our pay,” said McLaughlin, who is ably assisted by his brother, Neal, and sister-in-law Trish. “It was a great team effort.”

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Rosario earned his pay as well. Noticing that horses that were not racing on the lead Saturday were taking an extreme amount of kickback due to the windy conditions, Rosario kept Frosted out in the clear. Yes, he was four wide, but he wasn’t getting pelted with dirt as was El Kabeir, under C.C. Lopez, who was between horses down the backside. Wood runner-up Tencendur, under jockey Jose Ortiz, also raced wide and in the clear.

“He was wide down the backside and around the turn, but it worked out,” McLaughlin said. “He was always traveling great.”

Great described Saturday for McLaughlin, who also won races at Aqueduct with the 4-year-old Zingarelli and the 3-year-old sprinter Ekhlaas. McLaughlin also won a maiden race at Keeneland with the 3-year-old Wisecracker, who McLaughlin believes could be his Travers horse.

“Might be,” McLaughlin said. “He’s very talented.”

McLaughlin also used the word “great” to describe how Frosted came out of the Wood Memorial, for which he earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. McLaughlin said he still is figuring out shipping plans for Frosted, indicating he would get the horse to Kentucky in time for at least one and possibly both of his pre-Derby workouts.

Meanwhile, trainer George Weaver said Tencendur came out of the Wood in good shape and would likely be pointed to the Kentucky Derby. Weaver said he needed to talk with owner Phil Birsh first before totally committing.

“I’m inclined to do it,” Weaver said.

Weaver will likely need a new rider for Tencendur as Jose Ortiz, who rode him Saturday, also is the regular rider of Upstart, winner of the Holy Bull and runner-up in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. Manny Franco was aboard for Tencendur’s maiden victory.

El Kabeir, the Gotham winner who finished third in the Wood, “looked great this morning,” said Tonja Terranova, assistant to her husband, John.

Terranova said El Kabeir’s saddle towel was “solid mud” from all the dirt kicked back at him during the race.

Terranova said she and her husband would need to talk to Ahmed Zayat about whether to run El Kabeir in the Derby or perhaps wait for the Preakness.

Zayat also owns American Pharoah, last year’s 2-year-old champion who won the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes last month impressively and who is scheduled to run in Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.