Graded stakes winner Frostmourne comes off long layoff

Wednesday’s main event is a good one, a high-level optional-claiming test carded at 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf which drew a field of six led by two-time graded stakes winner Frostmourne, who has not started since October of 2018.

Frostmourne, 5, showed plenty of promise right off the bat, winning the Awad Stakes at 2 and both the Grade 2 Penn Mile and Grade 3 Kent during the opening half of his 3-year-old campaign. The son of Speightstown returned from a five-month layoff to win a race similar to Wednesday’s headliner here during the winter of 2018 as a prelude to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland later that spring.

Trained by Christophe Clement for owner-breeder Green Lantern Stables, Frostmourne has been gelded since his most recent start. He was slated to launch his comeback several weeks ago at Aqueduct, only to have the race washed off the turf due to rain.

“He has some questions to answer,” said Clement. “He was laid off because he had wind surgery, but he looks well and sound and I think he’s training very well, but the race will provide the biggest answer as to how well he’s doing. We gelded him because he’s getting older, and at this point I thought it would be easier dealing with a gelding than colt. He missed the race in New York, but he shipped down here and is ready to run. The owner has amazing patience. I just hope his patience pays off.”

Frostmourne could face his stiffest challenges from Gemonteer and Projected. Gemonteer has been freshened since posting a wire-to-wire one-length victory going seven furlongs against optional-claiming company on Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Jena Antonucci, Gemonteer has not finished worse than second in four starts locally, with his most important victory coming in the Not Surprising stakes here during the summer of 2018.

Projected has been transferred from Chad Brown to Eddie Kenneally since his last start, a fourth-place finish against high-level optional-claiming company late last summer at Belmont. Projected finished fifth in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale here for Brown a year ago.

The Wednesday feature will be the fourth leg in a Rainbow 6 sequence that will begin with a carryover of $250,366. Post time is 12:35 p.m.

◗ Entries will be drawn Wednesday for the five stakes on Saturday’s card, with four of them graded. The Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Lauderdale tops the lineup, which also includes a trio of Grade 3 races valued at $100,000 apiece, the Harlan’s Holiday, Sugar Swirl, and Rampart. The Sugar Swirl and Rampart are for fillies and mares at six furlongs and one mile, respectively.

The Harlan’s Holiday is considered a prep for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational and is expected to draw a field that will include Prince Lucky, Bodexpress, Realm, Flowers for Lisa, and Red Crescent.