Frosted Oats holds key to allowance race
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Anyone who loves playing horses coming out of key races is really going to love Frosted Oats in Friday’s eighth event at Gulfstream Park.
Frosted Oats tops a field of eight fillies and mares entered to go 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf for a $54,000 purse in the second of two allowance races for statebreds. Race 6 is for Florida-bred 3-year-olds going a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta course.
Trained by Bill Mott, Frosted Oats has been idle since winning a seven-furlong maiden special weight dash over the turf June 24 at Belmont Park. Four of her victims returned to earn diplomas of their own in their next start, three at the maiden special weight level (one at Saratoga, two at Colonial Downs) and the fourth under a $50,000 claiming tag at Churchill Downs. In addition, a fifth member of the field, Mrs. Green, was beaten just a nose in a maiden special weight event at Saratoga in her subsequent outing.
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Frosted Oats, who earned a career-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure on graduation day, has been working steadily for her return, having recorded six works starting Nov. 19, including a pair of bullet half-miles at Payson Park and an easy half-mile locally in 50.30 seconds on Dec. 30. She will be facing Florida-breds for the first time Friday.
Those who don’t readily adhere to the key-race theory and think Frosted Oats might need a race off the layoff could find Fish Mooney a logical alternative. Fish Mooney closed her 2022 campaign in top form for trainer Mark Casse, posting a win and three seconds in her final four starts at 3. The victory came over the synthetic track Oct. 15 at Woodbine. She finished second against open company in a race switched from the grass to the Tapeta track here in her 3-year-old finale on Dec. 23, showing surprising speed to set a contested pace before fighting back gamely to earn the placing behind Love Her Lots.
Casse may hold the upper hand in the sixth race when he sends out Classic Car Wash as the likely favorite exiting an 8 1/2-length maiden win over the main track here Dec. 2. Classic Car Wash also exits a key race, with a pair of also-rans returning to graduate against modest claiming competition.
Classic Car Wash will have to answer both the two-turn and Tapeta questions. He is modestly bred for the surface, being by Noble Bird out of a mare who has produced only a couple of minor grass winners.
Casse also entered recent allowance winner Smart Striker.
Anamnestic and Big Save, who finished first and third in the restricted Juvenile Stakes over the Tapeta strip on Nov. 19, also figure to draw considerable support in the co-feature, along with likely pacesetter and last-out maiden winner Naruto.
Turf stakes top Saturday card
The recently renovated turf course will be the focus of attention Saturday with the $100,000 Dania Beach for 3-year-olds and the Ginger Brew for 3-year-old fillies topping the 11-race card.
Trainer Todd Pletcher appears to hold the upper hand in both races, with Major Dude likely the one to beat in the Dania Beach and Cairo Consort a heavy favorite in the Ginger Brew.
Major Dude exits a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, which followed a victory in the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Aqueduct. Cairo Consort finished a strong third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, which came on the heels of a second-place effort in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine. Cairo Consort joined the Pletcher stable following her 2-year old finale.
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