McLaughlin pins Holy Bull hopes on Frosted

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – With five runners nominated to next Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin would appear to have a hammerlock on the race. But he said Friday that he will try to divide and conquer with his bevy of 3-year-olds, splitting the quintet among different spots while reserving the Holy Bull for the highly regarded Frosted, who finished second in the Remsen Stakes in his final start at age 2.

Frosted was an unlucky loser of the Remsen, in which he started from the outside post in a field of 13 over an Aqueduct track that favored inside running lanes the entire day. In four starts, Frosted has never finished worse than second, and he begins the new year as one of the elite prospects for the May 2 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

“He was very unlucky, with the track bias and the post position,” McLaughlin said Friday here at the Palm Meadows training center. “Hopefully, Frosted runs well in the Holy Bull and we stay at Gulfstream with him for races like the Fountain of Youth.”

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McLaughlin said that Irad Ortiz Jr. would be in from New York to ride Frosted in the Holy Bull.

McLaughlin said that Imperia, second last time out in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs, was slotted for next month’s Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds for his 2015 debut. The Risen Star is Feb. 21, the same day as the Fountain of Youth, and since both Frosted and Imperia are owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, McLaughlin is desirous of keeping them apart.

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“The thought on sending him to Fair Grounds is that, as of now, it seems you need to be forwardly placed to do well at Gulfstream,” McLaughlin said. “At Fair Grounds, you can be eighth early and do well. Imperia comes from off the pace. That’s our thought at this early stage.”

Mawthooq, who was third this month in the Mucho Macho Man, likely will run in an allowance race next. He turned in an eye-catching work Friday in which he went a half-mile in 48 seconds and then galloped out powerfully for another half-mile.

“Johnny Velazquez rode him last time, and he was fighting the jock and might have displaced his palate, so we put a tongue tie on him this morning,” McLaughlin said. “He’s a little tough. He’s a work in progress.”

Ocean Knight, a runaway maiden winner in his debut last month at Aqueduct, likely will head to Tampa Bay Downs for the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Jan. 31, McLaughlin said. His final Holy Bull nominee, Classy Class, is in New York and will remain there for now. Classy Class was fourth last time out in the Remsen.

In addition to Frosted, other probable starters for the Holy Bull include Bluegrass Singer, Frammento, International Star, Keen Ice, “and hopefully another three or four more,” according to Mike Costanzo, who is in his first year as Gulfstream’s stakes coordinator.

Trainer Rick Violette has been hopeful of making the race with Upstart but said recently that “everything would have to go perfect” for the colt to be entered. Upstart was third most recently in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Trainer Chad Brown did not even nominate Remsen winner Leave the Light On to the Holy Bull. He said Friday that the Fountain of Youth was his intended first start for 2015.

The Holy Bull anchors a five-stakes card that also includes the Grade 2 Forward Gal, the Grade 3 Hutcheson, the Sweetest Chant, and the Kitten’s Joy. Entries for all Saturday races will be drawn Monday.