Frostmourne in good place for 3-year-old debut

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Frostmourne appears to have a ton of physical ability. If he can get his mind right, Frostmourne could be a significant player in the 3-year-old turf division this year.

Frostmourne appears to have landed in a sweet spot for his 3-year-old debut: Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven Stakes going a mile at Aqueduct. The race drew only a field of five for the turf. Two more horses entered for the main track only.

The Woodhaven shares billing with the $100,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series on the final Saturday program of the Aqueduct meet.

Frostmourne, a son of Speightstown trained by Christophe Clement for Green Lantern Stables, went 2 for 3 at age 2. He won a maiden race at Saratoga by 2 1/4 lengths and the Awad Stakes at Belmont last October by 3 1/2 lengths. In between, he finished fourth behind Oscar Performance in the Pilgrim Stakes. Oscar Performance came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

In both the Pilgrim and Awad, Frostmourne was rank and forced to steady. In the Awad, when running room developed at the top of the stretch, Frostmourne made a quick move to the leader, Royal by Nature, and ran away from that rival in the final furlong. Royal by Nature is also making his 3-year-old debut in this spot.

Frostmourne’s connections hope the rankness the colt displayed last year was a function of immaturity. Frostmourne trained this winter at the Payson Park training center in Indiantown, Fla.

“This winter at Payson, what we’ve seen is pretty positive, so hopefully that’s behind him,” said Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Clement. “The boss said his last two works have been good to very good.”

Though there are only five horses in the field, it looks like Frostmourne could sit a nice trip behind likely speed horses Secretary At War and Royal by Nature.

Bird’s Eye View, third in a pair of graded events last year at Saratoga and Keeneland, makes his third start of the year for trainer Mike Dini. Shamsaan completes the field.

Bluegrass Flag in Park Avenue

Bluegrass Flag, the six-length winner of the three-horse Cicada Stakes on March 25, heads a field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered in the Park Avenue, which is restricted to progeny of New York-based stallions.

Bluegrass Flag is running back just four weeks after the Cicada, but the victory was accomplished in such an easy fashion that trainer Tom Morley isn’t concerned about the relatively quick turnaround.

“I do feel this is a filly who needs her races spaced carefully, so to not have had too hard a race last time and coming back in four weeks made it an easier decision for me,” Morley said. “And she’s done tremendously well since the last race.”

Bluegrass Flag is drawn in post 6. The main threat looks to be Noble Freud, a half-sister to graded stakes winners La Verdad and Hot City Girl who won her debut against open company at Oaklawn Park in February. Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Partners bought an interest in the filly and transferred her to Chad Brown.

“We have similar running styles,” Morley said. “We certainly won’t be leaving her alone on the front end; she’s going to have to work for it. If Chad’s filly is going a good clip, we can sit just off her and see if we can pick her up late.”

Toni Tools, Frosty Gal, Unbridledadventure, Dublin Girl, and Karen Kan complete the field.