McLaughlin has Mubtaahij ready to go for Suburban

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin can only hope Mubtaahij runs as good coming out of the Dubai World Cup as Frosted did.

Mubtaahij, who finished second to California Chrome in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March, is scheduled to make his first start for McLaughlin in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park.

Mubtaahij, formerly trained by Michael de Kock, came to McLaughlin shortly after the Dubai World Cup in March. He shows a steady work tab, including a bullet five-furlong move in 1:01 over the main track June 24.

“He’s done very well, does everything right, trains well,” McLaughlin said Monday at Belmont Park. “He’s coming out of a big effort in the World Cup. If he can repeat that, we’ll be in good shape.”

Mubtaahij will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Suburban. Ortiz rode the horse to a fourth-place finish behind American Pharoah in last year’s Belmont Stakes. That followed an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile, Frosted returned to the work tab last Friday for the first time since his 14 1/4-length romp in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 11, a performance that earned him a 123 Beyer Speed Figure.

Frosted, who worked right-handed over the synthetic surface at the Greentree training facility at Saratoga, went a half-mile in 48.60 seconds, according to McLaughlin.

Frosted remains on schedule for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 6.

“He’s going forward,” said McLaughlin. “We just have to hope he continues doing as well as he’s done all year. Then, it’s a two-turn mile and an eighth; it’s a different race. We’ll hope there’s no change.”

Mohaymen, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked four furlongs in 47.60 seconds over the Greentree track last Saturday. He is pointing to either the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 30 or the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 31, McLaughlin said. Now that the main track has opened at Saratoga, he likely will start working over that surface, McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said that Marking, fourth in the Met Mile, will run in Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship. He worked four furlongs in 47.80 seconds at Greentree last Friday.

Jess’s Dream, the son of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, worked four furlongs in 50.89 seconds over Belmont Park’s main track. Jess’s Dream has not run since winning his debut in electric fashion last August at Saratoga. McLaughlin said he hopes to get Jess’s Dream to an allowance race at Saratoga.

Cavorting has not worked back since winning the Ogden Phipps on June 11, but she is not expected to run until the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 27.