NYRA/Susie Raisher
By Sarah Mace
Rialto Racing Stables’ Frosted Ice left a field of New York-bred juveniles 6 1/4 lengths in his wake at Belmont Park on Friday afternoon in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes. The back marker of the group in the very early going, he systematically picked off a pair of foes in the backstretch before inhaling the frontrunners with an impressive wide move in the turn. From that point on the result was never in doubt.
An imposing grey son of New York-based stallion Bellamy Road (Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions), Frosted Ice was well-beaten in his July 27 Saratoga debut following a slow start. The colt put everything together, though, in his second try at the Spa for trainer Ron Moquett. On August 17 stretching out from 5 1/2 furlongs to six, Frosted Ice did a professional job of stalking the pacesetter before drawing off to a 5 1/4-length score. In preparation for the Bongard, he returned to his Churchill Downs base and turned in a pair of drills on September 8 and 15.
Partnered with Joel Rosario on Friday, his third pilot in as many starts, Frosted Ice was drawn on the outside of the field of six (following the scratches of Risp and Dalliance). With a demonstrated ability to stalk and pounce and the strong likelihood of his successfully stretching out an additional furlong, bettors saw his appeal in a field full of early speed. He was sent off as a narrow favorite at 9-5 odds over 2-1 Bankit, who finished just a nose short of Dugout in a game runner-up effort in the Funny Cide last out.
Following the break, Frosted Ice idled a little and let others fight it out for the top spot. Bankit led at the rail, attended closely by Just Right in the two path and Bustin to Be Loved three-wide. The trio carved out a testing early quarter mile in 22.14.
NYRA/Chelsea Durand
Frosted Ice targeted and overtook a pair of rivals along the backstretch, advancing into fourth. Then, with a confident move in the far turn, he circled the leaders and straightened out for the drive with an undisputed lead.
Widening his advantage at will, Frosted Ice cruised to the wire a 6 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:23.12. Poppy’s Destiny (11-1) closed to finish second, one length ahead of Bustin Hoffman (14-1), who had a slow start, but finished well. Completing the order of finish were the trio of early duelers Bankit, Bustin to Be Loved and Just Right. [VIDEO REPLAY]
Rosario made the whole contest sound pretty easy. “He’s a big horse with a nice stride. By the quarter pole, I just let him stretch his legs out. I was just the passenger. He did the rest.
“At the beginning, everyone wanted to get their spots. I was fine with that because it looked like there was some speed and we’d let him break where he was comfortable and have a strong finish.”
The jockey did add a little nuance, though. “He takes a little bit of time, but he was fine after. He’s fine. He’s a baby, so he was kind of looking around a lot. When they opened the gate, he kind of looked a little bit and lost the momentum, but he’s a big horse who can cover a lot of ground.”
Moquett commented, “He’s got a big stride and it seems like when all the sprinters are getting tired, he starts to kick on home. I just told the rider to ride with confidence and know that he’s a nice horse and it all worked. We’re very proud and happy that we won a stake at Belmont and we’re just tickled to death with this horse.”
The conditioner plans to return with his charge to Churchill Downs, consider stretching him out further and “keep our eyes on the New York-bred stakes as well.”
Bred by Catherine Adams-Hutt and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Frosted Ice is out of Super Slash, a Kentucky bred mare by Smoke Glacken who won 11 dirt races, started 54 times and banked $334,859. Adams-Hutt purchased the mare for the bargain price of $12,000 at the 2016 Keeneland January sale with Frosted Ice in utero.
Super Slash’s first foal Tainted Angel by Yes It’s True is a New York-bred stakes-placed runner. The mare has also produced a yearling filly by Normandy Invasion
