Frosted burns off some energy in work

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With rain in the forecast and Frosted tearing down the barn because he’s feeling so good, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin sent Frosted out a day earlier than planned to work four furlongs in 48.97 seconds at the Greentree Training Center here on Thursday.

In his first work since cruising to a two-length victory in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 6, Frosted posted splits of 12.90 and 24.51, finishing all on his own, before galloping out five-eighths in 1:02.55. He worked clockwise in front of only a handful of spectators at the private training facility, including McLaughlin and Jimmy Bell, the president of Godolphin, which owns Frosted.

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“This track handles rain great,” said McLaughlin, referring to the synthetic surface at Greentree. “That’s the beauty of having it. But if it’s pouring down rain by chance tomorrow, we’d prefer not to work in that type of weather. And he’s feeling so good I kind of wanted to go ahead and work him today instead of tomorrow.”

McLaughlin said the Grade 1 Woodward here one week from Saturday remains the next likely option for Frosted.

“We’re still looking at the Woodward,” said McLaughlin. “We haven’t made that announcement yet for sure, but it’s the first possibility.”