Wicked Whisper makes it look easy in Frizette Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Wicked Whisper backed up her easy maiden win at Saratoga in August with another relatively easy victory in Sunday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park.

Able to get clear without any early pressure under Joel Rosario, Wicked Whisper set comfortable fractions of 22.91 seconds for the quarter, 46.49 for the half-mile, and 1:11.12 for six furlongs while maintaining a two-length margin throughout. Shaken up a little by Rosario inside the eighth pole, Wicked Whisper responded and beat Frank’s Rockette by 2 3/4 lengths.

It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Slam Dunk in third. Ice Princess was fourth followed by Daphne Moon, Miss Marissa, and Quality Response.

Rosario was riding Wicked Whisper for the first time. He said he thought there was a lot of speed in the race, but when nobody went he was happy to be on the lead.

“I was just going to break and see where we were, if somebody wanted to go maybe we’d lay second or third, but she had a nice cruising speed right away and I just decided to go on with her,” Rosario said. “Every time I asked her a little bit, she was there for me.”

Wicked Whisper, a daughter of Liam’s Map who brought $500,000 as a yearling, covered the mile in 1:35.92 and returned $7.90 as the second choice. Frank’s Rockette, the 5-2 favorite, finished second for the third straight time in a graded stakes.

The win earned Wicked Whisper a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. Wicked Whisper is trained by Steve Asmussen, who in 2011 won the Frizette with My Miss Aurelia, who went on to win the BC Juvenile Fillies.

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Asmussen, who trains Wicked Whisper for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, watched the Frizette from Keeneland just before he sent out She’s a Julie in the Grade 1 Spinster.

“Beating somewhat accomplished runners off an easy maiden win said a lot,” Asmussen said by phone from Kentucky. “To step out to a mile and look that good finishing up is very exciting. Her pedigree suggested she’d be able to handle. She’s a beautiful filly that has a huge pedigree and is a Grade 1 winner.”

Asmussen said that if Wicked Whisper comes out of the race in good order, she would be shipped to Santa Anita on Oct. 14 to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup.