Kiaran McLaughlin expects Godolphin’s Frosted to back up his mesmerising performance in the Met Mile in June when the 5-year-old grey takes on five rivals in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday night.
Frosted put up one of the most impressive performances from any horse in the world when he slammed Anchor Down by 14 lengths in the Grade 1 contest around one turn at Belmont.
To upstage the Belmont Stakes, the final stanza in the annual US Triple Crown performance, requires something special and Frosted’s blitz by a record margin and time reverberated around the world.
Only A Shin Hikari’s demolition of a high-class field in the Group 1 Prix D’Ispahan at Chantilly, France, in May was comparable.
That run resulted in the Japanese raider, who subsequently flopped at Royal Ascot, being officially rated the best horse in the world courtesy of his 10-length win.
Frosted now stands in joint second in the world rankings alongside his Dubai World Cup conqueror California Chrome and Australian star Winx, and runs Saturday night’s Grade 1 over 1,800 metres and two turns as the overwhelming favourite.
“I’ll be disappointed if he is not in the winner’s circle, but I’m not expecting anything like his run in the Met Mile,” McLaughlin said. “That was the performance of a lifetime.”
Frosted’s performance was significantly better than anything he has ever produced during his 16 career starts.
It was only his second win at the highest level after his easy victory in the Wood Memorial Stakes in April last year, and there is every chance he could recoil from such a monster run, much as A Shin Hikari did at Royal Ascot.
However, Frosted has shown previously that he has an iron constitution.
When he was ground down by Keen Ice after trying to go hoof-to-hoof with the Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes 12 months ago, he bounced back just three weeks later to win the Pennsylvania Derby with authority.
Has the Met Mile left a mark?
“Not at all,” McLaughlin said in an interview with owners Godolphin. “He’s thriving on it. He’s happy and sharp.
“After such a huge race, I feel it is perfect timing to have eight weeks between runs. It is ideal.
“He’s been doing great. Also, I’m happy that Joel [Rosario] rides him. He’s not always a straightforward ride, but Joel gets along with him very well, so I’m happy with him being aboard.”
Frosted faces a small, but select field with Mark Casse’s Noble Bird, who will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and James Jerkens’ Effinex, the mount of Mike Smith, both looking formidable opponents.
Both are Grade 1 winners but it is Noble Bird who could well come out on top.
The son of Birdstone, the 2004 Belmont Stakes winner, was 18 lengths behind Frosted in the Met Mile, but previously was a wide-margin winner himself when putting over 11 lengths on a Grade 3 field.
Last season the chestnut edged out the talented Lea, last year’s Dubai World Cup third, in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.
If Frosted is at all off his game, a reproduction of that performance could well see him ice the favourite.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport