NYRA/Adam Coglianese
By Sarah Mace
Gabrielle Farm homebred Frosty Margarita (Frost Giant), morning line and post-time favorite to win the $100,000 Key Cents stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies at Aqueduct on Sunday, did not disappoint, delivering a frontrunning, never-in-doubt three-length victory. The dark bay filly’s first stakes win caps a pair of black type placings in her two prior starts.
Reunited with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who had the assignment for each of her previous four races, Frosty Margarita took over the lead shortly after the bell from her inside post and never looked back, setting the fractions at every point of call in the six-furlong sprint.
After carving out a first quarter-mile in 23.04 and half in 46.54, Frosty Margarita entered the stretch with a comfortable three-length lead over her nearest pursuer, Joseph A. Gimma winner Melodic, who broke sharply from her outside post, settled back off the pace and moved up into contention in the far turn.
NYRA/Chelsea Durand
After extending her lead to four-plus lengths, Frosty Margarita crossed the wire in hand, a three-length winner in a final time of 1:11.85 with ears pricked and looking pleased with the whole experience. Melodic finished a solid second, six-plus lengths ahead of the rest: Surprise Cameo, Louisville First, Lemon Liqueur, Here Comes Rosie and Taken by Surprise. [VIDEO]
Winning trainer Rudy Rodriguez said, “[Frosty Margarita] ran the way we expected. I told Irad to just break from there running and if someone goes crazy just let the other horse go. She got a nice comfortable lead and then she switched leads and took it home.”
Ortiz concurred, saying that his mount relished being the controlling speed. “I rode her before and after talking to Rudy I think we figured her out now. Before we thought she liked to run a little relaxed but today we let her go and she showed us what she’s got. She fights, and she has a lot of potential.”
Commenting on the filly’s runner-up finishes in the seven-furlong Gimma and one-mile Maid of the Mist, Rodriguez added, “[Cutting back to six furlongs] was the best thing we did. I still think she can stretch out. Hopefully next year she can stretch out to a mile. The main thing is we have to keep her sound and healthy.”
Never out of the exacta in five starts, and a maiden breaker second out at Saratoga on August 24, Frosty Margarita has earned $195,800 from two victories and three seconds for owner/breeder Chip Acierno of Gabrielle Farm.
Foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Schuylerville, Frosty Margarita is by top-ten New York sire Frost Giant and the second foal and second winner out of Mango Margarita, an unraced daughter of Not For Love also bred by Gabrielle Farm. Currently the mare has a yearling filly by Freud and a weanling colt by Teuflesberg on the ground. She was bred this year to Central Banker.
