SV Photography
By Sarah Mace
Frequent Saratoga invader Frosty Margarita made relatively short work of a competitive six-horse field in Monday’s featured race at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack, the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares. When she cruised unchallenged to a front-running 2-length victory in her 30th start, the 5-year-old daughter of New York sire Frost Giant (Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions) added a fourth black type score to her career tally.
A Gabrielle Farm homebred trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Frosty Margarita has been working regularly at Saratoga, but for her two most recent starts has shipped west to Finger Lakes for a pair of conditioned allowance races.
The mare won a 6-furlong contest by three lengths on June 20 and suffered just a neck loss to Frostie Anne going one mile at the same venue on July 17. Frosty Margarita was flattered when Frostie Annie came back to win an open Saratoga allowance race on Sunday by nearly five lengths as the even-money favorite.
Away alertly from her rail post under John Davila, Jr. as the odds-on favorite, Frosty Margarita out-sprinted Pride of Saratoga to the lead and established a half-length advantage by the first point of call. Pride of Saratoga at the rail and Rosyjersey in the two path chased through opening splits of 24.22 and 48.33.
Extending her lead to 1 1/2 lengths along the backstretch, Frosty Margarita only improved her position from there. Set down for the drive fully in command of her destiny, the dark bay drew off without a serious challenge to win by two lengths in a final time of 1:44.75. [VIDEO REPLAY]
Rosyjersey, who shook off Pride of Saratoga in the turn, finished a clear second followed five lengths back by Pride of Saratoga in third. Completing the order of finish were Beyond Discreet, Satin Frost and Amanda Lane. Super Nova was scratched
Frosty Margarita waged outstanding campaigns at two and three, collecting runner-up finishes in the Joseph A. Gimma and Maid of the Mist as a juvenile in 2015, before breaking through with her first pair of stakes wins in the Key Cents and Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion series, both run at Aqueduct.
In January of 2016, Frosty Margarita won the Maddie May. Since she has added steadily to her earnings bankroll but her form has been a little bit in and out. She is experiencing something of a resurgence this summer, however, capped by this breakthrough Jack Betta Be Rite victory. Overall in four seasons of racing she has recorded eight wins, seven seconds and two thirds and earned $576,176.
Frosty Margarita, who was foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Schuylerville, is out of Mango Margarita, an unraced New York-bred daughter of Not For Love also bred by Gabrielle Farm. She has four winning siblings but only she has earned black type. Mango Margarita’s most recent reported foal is a juvenile colt by New York freshman sire Central Banker named Mr. Muy Bien, who has posted a steady series of works at Saratoga this summer.
